Russian Strikes Cut Power in Kyiv as Ukraine Hits Yandex Data Center in Ryazan Region
Russian attacks knocked key elements of Kyiv’s power grid offline on 8 October, causing blackouts and hitting a school near the capital, Ukraine says. Ukrainian forces say they answered with a strike that shut down a major Yandex data center in Sasovo, Ryazan Oblast, forcing the company to halt operations at the facility and disrupting its network services.
Russian strikes on 8 October knocked out parts of Kyiv’s power system and damaged a school near the capital, while Ukraine says it carried out a deep strike on a major Russian data center used by Yandex in Ryazan region.
Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo said enemy shelling disabled several elements of the electrical network that supplies Kyiv. According to the company, this caused power outages for many consumers in parts of the capital. Emergency repair work is under way.
Authorities also introduced emergency outage schedules in Kyiv region due to the Russian attack. Local reporting attributed these blackout measures to the damage inflicted on the power infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said Kyiv was experiencing a blackout after key parts of the grid were knocked offline by Russian strikes. City officials reported that Kyiv’s metro has resumed service on all lines, but with increased intervals of up to 10 minutes, and that some electric public transport in the city remains out of operation.
A school near Kyiv was hit in the same wave of Russian fire. Ukrainian sources described it as another civilian facility struck in Russia’s campaign against Ukraine. They did not provide immediate information on casualties.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is preparing responses to what he called a new wave of Russian escalation. He said Kyiv is working with partners to obtain more air defense systems and ammunition for F-16 fighter jets. Zelensky also said the government is implementing requests from corps and brigade commanders gathered during his visits to the front.
Overnight, Ukrainian defense forces struck a major Yandex data center in Sasovo, Ryazan Oblast. Ukrainian reporting described the facility as a significant hub. Yandex confirmed that the data center completely halted operations after part of its infrastructure was damaged, which triggered widespread disruptions across its network services.
Ukrainian channels circulated satellite images that they said showed the aftermath of the strike on the Sasovo site.
The events highlight how Russian attacks continue to target Ukraine’s power grid and civilian sites, while Ukrainian forces seek to hit assets inside Russia that they consider critical for the country’s digital and economic activity.
Signals to watch now include how long emergency power restrictions remain in force in Kyiv and surrounding areas, whether Russia launches further strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, how quickly Yandex can reroute services away from Sasovo, and whether Ukraine conducts additional strikes on Russian digital or energy infrastructure.
Sources
- OSINT