Russian ballistic barrage on Kyiv targets CHP‑4 plant, exposes spread of S‑400 strikes
Russia fired at least 14 ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight, including at least eight RM‑48U missiles adapted from the S‑400 system, striking around the CHP‑4 power plant and other sites. Footage shows the S‑400‑based missiles scattering across eastern Kyiv, with only two hitting the plant and the rest falling in surrounding areas.
A concentrated Russian missile attack on Kyiv has again put the city’s energy infrastructure and nearby districts under ballistic fire.
During the night of 18–19 October, Russian forces launched at least 14 ballistic missiles at the capital, according to reporting from the ground. The salvo included Iskander‑M missiles and at least eight RM‑48U ballistic missiles modified from the S‑400 air defense system. Strikes hit the CHP‑4 combined heat and power plant in eastern Kyiv, as well as unspecified targets in the western suburbs and near the city of Irpin.
Footage from eastern Kyiv shows the impacts of eight RM‑48U missiles that were seemingly all aimed at the CHP‑4 site. The video indicates that only two of the missiles actually struck the power plant. The remaining missiles landed in the surrounding areas, with impacts spread out rather than clustered tightly on the facility itself.
Separate close‑up footage from Kyiv captures the explosion from an RM‑48U missile impact and notes that the blast appears smaller than that seen in known Iskander‑M strikes. This visual difference points to a smaller explosion but still shows a significant detonation inside an urban area.
Local authorities also reported wider infrastructure damage. Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said a metro station on the left bank of the city was damaged during the ballistic attack. Near the station, debris impacts caused a rupture of the running rail and the contact rail, disrupting train operations on that section.
For residents, these details translate into direct problems: a power plant under attack, a damaged metro line, and ballistic missiles that may miss the exact target but still fall within the city. The pattern shown in the RM‑48U footage underlines that even when converted S‑400 missiles don’t hit the intended facility, they still strike nearby streets, businesses, or industrial plots.
From a military perspective, the use of both Iskander‑M and RM‑48U missiles in a single barrage reflects Russia’s willingness to combine purpose‑built ballistic systems with adapted air‑defense missiles for attacks on urban infrastructure. The spread of the RM‑48U impacts shown in the video also highlights how the accuracy of these modified missiles affects which parts of Kyiv absorb the damage.
What matters next is the extent of lasting damage to CHP‑4 and the metro line, any interruptions to electricity and heating in Kyiv, and whether future Russian barrages continue to feature RM‑48U S‑400 missiles alongside Iskander‑Ms or shift in composition as stocks and tactics evolve.
Sources
- OSINT