ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — Ukrainian drone strikes on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 8, damaged a bridge and energy facilities in Russia’s Rostov Oblast, causing road closures and blackouts, regional Governor Yuri Slyusar said, according to the Kyiv Independent. Slyusar reported no casualties.
Related: Russian Strikes Cut Power to About 850,000 in Ukraine as Zaporizhzhia Plant Loses Outside Supply.
What was hit
Drone debris reportedly damaged the bridge over the Mius River at the 97th kilometer of the R-280 highway in the Neklinovsky district, the report said. Slyusar said traffic on the approach road was completely shut down.
He later said a drone strike also damaged a transformer at the Sulin power substation in the Millerovsky district, cutting electricity to multiple villages. Repairs will start after emergency crews clear the scene.
The Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova-Plus published footage it said showed an FP-2 drone hitting the bridge. Unverified claim, Exilenova-Plus (Ukrainian monitoring channel). The Kyiv Independent said it could not verify those claims at publication.
Why the road matters
The R-280 links Rostov Oblast with the occupied Ukrainian territories of Mariupol, Melitopol and Crimea, the Kyiv Independent said. Ukraine’s “middle strike” campaign, launched in spring 2026, has targeted Russian logistics along the road, which carries military cargo to occupied Ukraine.
The wider exchange
The reported strike came after a mass Russian attack on bridges and infrastructure in Kyiv. Overnight on Nov. 6-7, Russian ballistic missiles damaged the city’s Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River, according to the Kyiv Independent. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Nov. 6 that Ukraine was preparing more long-range strikes on strategic targets in Russia in response to attacks on its energy system.
What happens next
How quickly the Mius crossing reopens will show how much the strike disrupted the route. Follow the war on our Warfare page, and see the Abu Dhabi talks preview.
Sources
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