The number of missiles fired by Russia at Ukraine in October, at a level not seen in at least two and a half years
A Multiple Missile Launcher Grad of Severus Force Group [Nord] of the Russian army is deployed in a border area in the Kursk region. Photo: TASS / ddp USA / Profimedia
Russia launched more missiles at Ukraine in October than in any other month since at least 2023 as it attacked the country's power grid in nighttime operations, an AFP analysis based on Ukrainian data shows.
Russian attacks, targeting Ukraine's power grid for the fourth straight winter, have caused massive blackouts, affecting tens of thousands of people.
The Russian military launched 270 missiles in October, up 46 percent from the previous month, according to an AFP analysis of data released daily by the Ukrainian air force.
It is the highest monthly tally since Kyiv began regularly publishing statistics in early 2023.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of wanting to sow “chaos” by hitting the power grid hard.
“Russia's task is to create chaos and apply psychological pressure on the population through strikes on energy facilities and railways,” the Ukrainian leader said in a press briefing last month.
As before previous winters, power cuts were instituted throughout October in every region of the country, including Kyiv, to deal with the situation.
Last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for several Russian military officials for the “war crime” of causing excessive harm to civilians through attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities.
On Friday, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine warned that attacks on energy infrastructure threatened to trigger a major crisis in the winter. “Besides the terror of war, the sirens, the attacks, it's also increasingly a fight for survival,” with limited access to basic goods, explained Matthias Schmale.
Thousands of drones launched over Ukraine
Also in October, Russia launched 5,298 long-range drones over Ukraine, according to the same data, down about 6 percent from September's tally but still close to record levels.
Russian forces launch drones on Ukrainian cities and energy facilities every day.
Kiev has retaliated with attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries, seeking to disrupt Moscow's energy exports and trigger fuel shortages in Russia.
