Occupiers launch ballistic missile attack on Kryvyi Rih
An air raid alert was declared in Kryvyi Rih on the evening of 8 January 2026 due to the threat of Russia using ballistic weapons.
At 16:59, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine detected a high-speed target moving through Zaporizhzhia region towards the city. The head of the Kryvyi Rih Defence Council, Oleksandr Vilkul, confirmed the threat and urged residents to remain in shelters until the all-clear, warning that the enemy often carries out repeated launches of Iskander-M missiles from the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea.
The threat emerged as the city was still dealing with the aftermath of one of the largest combined attacks it had experienced the previous day, on 7 January. That attack involved drones and missiles, damaging infrastructure facilities and two private enterprises, while the number of injured rose to eight.
As of the morning of 8 January, the situation in the city’s energy system remained critical: more than 29,000 consumers were without electricity, and large boiler houses were operating on generators due to damage to high-voltage power lines.
The renewed attack on 8 January forced emergency and municipal services to temporarily suspend restoration work and move to safe locations. Authorities have urged residents not to post images of air defence operations or possible impact sites on social media, in order not to assist the enemy in adjusting fire.
The situation in Kryvyi Rih district remains under special control due to Russia’s ongoing attempts in early 2026 to strike the region’s energy and hydraulic infrastructure facilities.
The threat of critical power outages persists in Kryvyi Rih following a series of combined strikes involving ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones.
On 7 January, eight people were injured in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, during a large-scale Russian attack.
On the same day, Russian forces also attacked ports in Odesa region, resulting in casualties and destruction.
