Suspected Ukrainian forces triggered an explosion that severely damaged the Kerch bridge connecting Russia with occupied Crimea on 8 October. Four Russian civilians were reportedly killed in the explosion. The bridge is an important supply and logistics artery for Russian operations in southern Ukraine (New York Times, 8 October 2022). While Russian state sources claim a truck bomb was used in the attack (Meduza, 8 October 2022), some analysts have argued that the attack may have been carried out with a drone or explosives attached to the bottom of the bridge (Molfar, 11 October 2022).
In response to the attack, Russian forces launched missile and drone strikes across Ukraine on 10 October, hitting critical infrastructure and civilian buildings in over a dozen regions, including the cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhia, reportedly killing at least 20 civilians (Suspilne Media, 11 October 2022). The strikes destroyed 30% of all Ukrainian power stations, causing power outages across the country (Volodymyr Zelensky, 18 October 2022; Ukrinform, 11 October 2022). Additionally, dozens of civilians in Zaporizhia were reportedly killed in Russian airstrikes and shelling on 9 and 14 October.
In the Donetsk region, Russian forces engaged in offensive operations in the direction of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Soledar (ISW, 8 October 2022). In the Luhansk region, Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in the direction of Kreminna and Svatove (ISW, 12 October 2022).
For more information, including previous infographics and an interactive dashboard, visit our Ukraine Crisis research hub.
