What happened

In the nighttime attacks on 9 February, Russian forces struck a high-voltage substation in Novovolynsk (Volyn region) and railway infrastructure near the border. According to reports, damage to the substation left more than 80,000 customers without power.

In addition to Volyn, strikes were recorded in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The attacks caused fatalities and injuries: a 71-year-old man was killed in Novhorod-Siverskyi; civilians were wounded in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions; in Odesa one person was killed and two were wounded; in Bohodukhiv a woman and a child were killed.

Official sources and operational details

"Due to the new strike there is significant damage — the substation is not operational"

— Borys Karpus, Novovolynsk mayor

"A locomotive and the contact network were damaged; trains Sumy — Kyiv and Sumy — Kharkiv may run with delays"

— Ukrzaliznytsia, operational report

"During the night the enemy used 11 Iskander‑M ballistic missiles and about 149 UAVs; our units shot down or suppressed 116 drones"

— Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, summary

How this affects people and transport

The substation outage is not just a matter of darkness in apartments. Energy infrastructure powers hospitals, utilities, water supply systems and enterprises that support the rear. Damage to the contact network and locomotives directly affects transportation: regional and suburban train services may be disrupted, and freight chains delayed.

In practical terms this means longer delays in delivering humanitarian cargo, spare parts, fuel and evacuations. In wartime, even a few hours of downtime at a hub can complicate operational logistics at the front.

Why the enemy chooses such targets

Targeting energy and transport is a systematic tactic to weaken the resilience of the rear and create additional problems for the military. Infrastructure analysts point out that destroying substations and contact networks delivers a double blow: it lowers civilians' quality of life and complicates supply to the frontline.

What has been done and what to expect

Energy workers and repair crews are working to restore power, while Ukrzaliznytsia is implementing operational route changes and substituting trains with bus transfers where it is safe. The Air Forces report a high percentage of shot down/suppressed UAVs, but impacts in a number of locations were nevertheless recorded.

Short-term expectations: power outages for part of the population, delays in regional and freight traffic, and increased pressure on emergency services. Medium-term: a need to accelerate repairs, strengthen air defenses of key facilities and create backup logistical routes.

Conclusion

Attacks on energy and rail are not accidental but part of a strategy that has concrete consequences for both the rear and the front. We see that systematic air defense efforts reduce the effectiveness of strikes, but this also raises the question of rapid infrastructure recovery and diversification of supply routes.

Whether available resources and the pace of restoration will be sufficient to minimize the consequences of repeat attacks is the key question in the coming days.