Russian Missiles and Drones Hit Key Kyiv Power Plants, Killing at Least Two and Sparking Major Fires
Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and its region overnight, killing at least two people, injuring four and triggering large fires at the Kyiv CHP‑5 plant, the Trypillya thermal power plant and the Kyiv hydroelectric plant, according to Ukrainian authorities and satellite fire data.
Overnight into 30 September, a large Russian missile and drone strike on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed at least two people, injured four and set off major fires at several of the area’s most important power facilities.
Ukrainian officials reported that homes, warehouses, vehicles and a non‑residential building in the capital were damaged, with fires breaking out in multiple locations. Kyiv’s military administration said the overnight attack left at least two people dead and four wounded in the city, after initially reporting one fatality.
In the wider region, a drone strike damaged a supermarket in the Obukhiv district of Kyiv region, the regional administration said. A fire broke out at the site, and officials warned that there could be casualties, with search and rescue work and damage assessment still under way.
Ukraine’s air defense reported one of the heaviest air attacks in recent months. According to official figures, Ukrainian forces shot down or suppressed 160 air targets, including 155 out of 188 Russian attack drones and 5 ballistic missiles. The main direction of the strike was Kyiv region, and impacts from Russian missiles and drones were recorded at 18 locations.
Satellite fire data from NASA’s FIRMS system showed large fires at three major power facilities after the attack: the Kyiv CHP‑5 combined heat and power plant, the Trypillya thermal power plant south of the capital, and the Kyiv hydroelectric power plant on the Dnipro River. Reporting on the strike said Oniks supersonic cruise missiles and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles hit the Trypillya plant, while KN‑23 ballistic missiles and Oniks missiles struck the CHP‑5 site.
Emergency services said that after the night’s strikes, Kyiv was covered by a thick morning haze. The State Emergency Service described the haze as smoke and soot from the attacks and said it would gradually disperse once the wind picked up and the sun rose.
Analysts at the Ukrainian platform єРадар, examining the latest strikes, said Russian forces have started a campaign aimed at destroying Ukraine’s power system. Their assessment was that during the attack, Russian forces targeted combined heat and power plants, hydroelectric power stations, thermal power plants and substations in Kyiv region. They warned that in future attacks, the Russian military would try to knock out electricity generation and transmission facilities and that the stated objective of the campaign is to disconnect nuclear power plants from the united grid.
The Ukrainian Air Force has also reported a broader increase in Russian use of attack drones. Its spokesman Yurii Ihnat said that by 29 September, Russian forces had launched 3,177 attack drones in September compared with 2,850 in August, indicating a significant month‑on‑month rise.
How quickly Ukrainian engineers can stabilize power generation and transmission after the latest damage, whether emergency cuts are introduced in the Kyiv region and whether Russia follows up with more high‑end missile strikes on major plants and substations will determine how far this phase of the campaign goes.
Sources
- OSINT