Russia: weekly briefing
2 Nov – 9 Nov 2026
Top stories
- Russian strikes leave hundreds of thousands without power in Ukraine (Al Jazeera, 8 Nov) — DTEK said more than 600,000 people in Dnipropetrovsk region lost electricity after a Russian overnight attack on an energy facility. Another 250,000 were reported without power in Kharkiv region, with repairs complicated by repeated attacks.
- Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia aid centre kills 40, Kyiv says (Al Jazeera, 4 Nov) — Ukrainian authorities said a Russian attack on a school used for aid distribution killed 40 people, with more than 30 possibly still under rubble. The UN human rights mission in Ukraine said the bombing likely violated international law.
- Russia upgrades delegation for US-brokered Abu Dhabi talks (Euronews, 8 Nov) — The Kremlin said Russia's delegation, again led by Vladimir Medinsky, will be upgraded for US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi. France's foreign minister said Europeans will join, while Zelenskyy has warned a US plan is dangerous, per Politico.
- Hacked Rosstat data suggests 390,000-plus Russian war deaths (Euronews, 8 Nov) — Hacker groups claim stolen Rosstat data indicates 393,000 to 450,000 Russians killed since 2022, far above official figures. Meduza and Mediazona have begun checking authenticity, and the figures remain unverified.
- Ukrainian strikes take 15 of Russia's 38 major refineries offline (United24 Media, 5 Nov) — Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR) said 15 of Russia's 38 major refineries had suspended operations by late September, with damage estimated above $23 billion. These figures come from Ukrainian intelligence and are not independently verified.
Trends
Energy infrastructure remained a common thread. Russian overnight attacks cut power to hundreds of thousands in Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, while Ukrainian intelligence said strikes had idled 15 of Russia's 38 major refineries. Both energy campaigns continued from the previous week, when Ukrainian refinery strikes and Russian grid attacks were already prominent. The Oleshky truce, which the previous briefing reported as expired, featured in a more hopeful context earlier in the week, but Zelenskyy later said Russia had wasted the opening it created after the deadly Zaporizhzhia strike. Diplomacy is moving, with Abu Dhabi talks due on 10–11 November and European participation announced. The Rosstat leak stands apart from the front-line stories, though it bears on the war's human cost.
What it means (opinion)
Opinion: The week suggests that diplomacy and escalation are advancing side by side rather than in sequence. Abu Dhabi talks are scheduled for 10–11 November, yet strikes on Ukrainian power and Russian refineries continued, and Kyiv's account of the Zaporizhzhia attack has hardened its stance. Next week, watch whether the talks produce any concrete humanitarian or ceasefire step, particularly on energy, given the approach of winter. Also watch whether independent outlets confirm the Rosstat data, since verified figures could sharpen debate over Russia's casualties. Reported claims from both Kyiv and Moscow should be weighed carefully until corroborated.
AI-assisted summary of public reporting; the analysis is opinion. Sources are linked above.