Russian Drone Raid Hits Western Ukraine’s Power Grid and Railways

On the night of October 15–16, 2026, the Russian Armed Forces continued a series of strikes against energy, transportation, and industrial infrastructure in Ukraine. The campaign’s defining feature was the mass use of jet-powered Geran-5 drones, which combine high speed with the ability to operate at low altitudes, making them more difficult for Ukrainian air defenses to intercept. Strikes hit targets in the Odesa, Volyn, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, and Kyiv regions. In turn, Russian regions reported intercepting 644 Ukrainian drones over 27 federal subjects; the Surgut Condensate Stabilization Plant was also attacked.

Strikes on Ukraine

Odesa Region: Logistics and Energy

• Bloomy Group logistics center, Teplodar. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the facility was used to store military and dual-use cargo intended to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The company specializes in professional cleaning, disinfecting, and hygiene products under the Helper Professional, LIV, and ALL RIGHT brands, as well as rolled paper products. Military unit A2339 of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has purchased Helper Professional products for military units, hospitals, and barracks facilities through a dealer network. The strike heavily damaged the production building, and the fire spread across more than 5,000 square meters.

• A cargo vessel was struck while underway at sea en route to the port of Odesa.

• 110/35/10 kV substation, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi. Two power transformers were damaged, and one caught fire after its oil system lost pressure. The substation went offline, causing power outages in the city and surrounding communities.

Volyn Region: Energy and Industry

• Lutsk-South Substation, Lutsk. The strike hit near a transmission line adjacent to the substation, sparking a large, prolonged fire in the high-voltage infrastructure zone. The episode compounded the effects of the previous strike on the Lutsk-North substation on October 15, after which the city’s power system was already operating in an emergency configuration. By the morning of October 16, Lutsk was effectively without power.

• Lutsk-North Substation, Lutsk. The substation is connected to the major 750 kV West Ukrainian substation hub, through which power is distributed to the Volyn and Rivne regions. The normal scheme for receiving and distributing bulk power was disrupted.

• International freight permitting facility, Kovel. The strike damaged at least eight car carriers and six other vehicles. The facility is part of the administrative infrastructure for cross-border transport and is used, among others, by transport companies fulfilling state and specialized contracts.

• Yahodyn Railway Station, village of Rymachi, Volyn Region. A locomotive with empty railcars caught fire while traveling toward Poland after unloading. Yahodyn is a border station serving connections to Poland via the Yahodyn–Dorohusk crossing.

• Kromberg & Schubert LLC, village of Rovantsi, Volyn Region. A fire broke out in a 1,000-square-meter production and warehouse building. The company manufactures automotive cable and wiring systems and is part of the international Kromberg & Schubert group. Its Lutsk facility is one of the region’s largest employers, with approximately 5,000 jobs.

• Agrofrukt LTD LLC, Manevychi. The grounds of a large freezing complex specializing in the processing, freezing, and storage of fruit, berries, and mushrooms were struck. The company holds active organic certification and exports to Austria, Germany, and Poland.

• Kovel Locomotive Depot, Volyn Region. Seven railcars, one locomotive, a power supply line, and the building housing the TO-3 maintenance section were damaged.

Rivne and Khmelnytskyi Regions

• Dubno Traction Substation, Rivne Region. The T1 110 kV power transformer was destroyed. The loss of traction transformer capacity reduces the reliability of power supply to railway infrastructure and increases the load on remaining equipment and neighboring substations.

• DEX Private Enterprise Warehouse, Rivne. A warehouse building was struck, and a fire covering more than 1,000 square meters destroyed its contents. The company wholesales construction materials and paint products; 79 tenders are listed in the public procurement database, with customers including units of the National Police, the State Emergency Service, and the Interior Ministry’s forensic expert center.

• Shepetivka Locomotive Depot, Khmelnytskyi Region. A repeat strike hit the depot’s grounds, sparking a large fire.

• Oil depot, Shepetivka. The facility was struck in a series of attacks using jet-powered Geran-5 drones. A large fire broke out, with fuel and lubricant storage tanks burning.

Ternopil Region: Repeat Strike

• Chortkiv branch of SE Bordnetze LLC, Chortkiv. Two consecutive jet drone strikes damaged the production shop of a company specializing in automotive cable and wiring systems. It was the second strike on the facility in three days.

Zhytomyr Region

• Cersanit Invest LLC, Zhytomyr Region. A fire broke out in a 100-square-meter production shop.

• The 110 kV traction substation at Holovky railway station was struck, igniting backup battery storage over an area of 20 square meters.

• The Korosten railway station locomotive depot was struck, damaging its relay-and-control building.

• Iskorost traction substation (PS-110), Korosten. A fire spread across 100 square meters on the facility’s grounds.

• The site of a decommissioned oil depot in Ovruch was struck.

Kharkiv Region

• Osnova Locomotive Depot, Kharkiv. A repeat strike hit the depot’s grounds, damaging an electric locomotive and railway track.

• 330 kV Loseve Substation, Kharkiv. One of the key hubs for power distribution was struck. Transformer equipment caught fire after the impact.

• The Nobel office building in Kharkiv was hit.

Kyiv Region

• 330 kV Novokyivska Substation, near the village of Khotiv. The 110 kV outdoor switchgear was damaged. Emergency power outages occurred in Kyiv and the surrounding region. Water supply problems arose on Kyiv’s right bank, with reduced pressure reported in the Holosiivskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Solomianskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi districts.

• Kyiv and Kyiv Region. Following massed attacks, emergency power outages were introduced. Outages began in the Bucha, Obukhiv, and Fastiv districts of the region.

Cherkasy Region

• The Epicenter warehouse complex in Uman was struck.

Zaporizhzhia and Chernihiv Regions

• Carlsberg Ukraine plant, Zaporizhzhia. One drone struck the grounds of the Zaporizhzhia brewery.

• According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, four warehouses storing drones and rocket-and-artillery weapons were struck.

Strikes on Russia

• Surgut Condensate Stabilization Plant named after V. S. Chernomyrdin, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug–Yugra. A unit at the facility was attacked. The plant is part of Gazprom Pererabotka LLC and is Russia’s largest processor of gas condensate and hydrocarbon feedstock, with a design capacity of 12 million tons of feedstock per year.

• Rostov Region. A missile and more than 50 drones were shot down over Rostov Region. Bataysk and nine districts came under attack.

• Vladimir Region. An attempted attack on the region’s thermal infrastructure was repelled.

• According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, 644 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over 27 regions of the Russian Federation.

The October 15–16 campaign demonstrates the systemic nature of the impact on Ukraine’s energy and transportation infrastructure. In the medium term, strikes on 330 kV substations and railway traction infrastructure are likely to continue. Repairing damaged 200 MVA-class transformers takes considerable time and may be complicated by a shortage of reserves. Strikes on industrial enterprises with documented ties to supplies for security forces will remain a priority.