7 November: Kyiv under attack, promises of SSU scrutiny
Russian attacks damaged homes, a kindergarten, the Northern Bridge and power networks. Zelenskyy set out his approach to peace talks and urged asset declarations for all SSU employees.
Russian strikes on 7 November 2026 left Kyiv with a damaged bridge and disruptions to electricity, water and heating. As rescuers and utility workers dealt with the damage, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed preparations for talks to end the war and promised further personnel decisions at the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU).
Homes, a bridge and networks hit
Zelenskyy said 36 ballistic missiles targeted Kyiv and the surrounding region. He said only four missiles were neutralised. The president linked the difficulties facing air defence to a severe shortage of Patriot interceptors and urged faster deliveries. He also said Russia used 172 drones in the combined attack, with 12 regions besides the capital coming under fire.
In Kyiv, the State Emergency Service updated the number of injured to six, including a child. Residential buildings were damaged in Solomianskyi district, and a two-storey building on kindergarten grounds was destroyed. In the morning, a drone hit a private house in Darnytskyi district. Daytime attacks also caused fires at a private house in Shevchenkivskyi district and a warehouse in Obolonskyi district.
The Northern Bridge was closed in both directions. Its road surface, trolleybus overhead line and power line were damaged; the blast wave damaged five trucks near the bridge. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said road crews and utility workers were already working there. Zelenskyy instructed the Interior Ministry and city administration to prepare backup transport routes and additional vehicles, saying such backup arrangements effectively did not exist at city level.
Damage to power networks limited the ability to deliver electricity to people. The Energy Ministry confirmed damage to networks carrying power from nuclear plants to the capital and central regions. Supply was restored to some consumers, but air-raid alerts delayed repairs. Conditions can change several times an hour, so residents should check current restrictions with their regional distribution operator.
Water service recovered unevenly during the day. After Klitschko announced that the system was operating normally, pressure dropped again on the left bank. At 19:50, Kyivvodokanal announced that pressure had returned to normal on both banks. On heating, the mayor said during the day that 60% of apartment buildings had been connected. This does not mean the rest lost heating in this particular attack: connections were still being made.
Talks: ending the war first
Discussing forthcoming diplomatic contacts, Zelenskyy set out a sequence: first address ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, then security guarantees for Ukraine, and only afterwards a possible security framework between Europe and Russia. He described starting with the last issue as dangerous and rejected a division of Europe along the lines of “Yalta 2.0”. This was the president’s position on the order of negotiations; he presented no agreed ceasefire terms in these statements.
SSU: a pledge to open assets to scrutiny
Zelenskyy said dismissals had already taken place at the SSU and announced further personnel decisions. He called for investigators to identify those who ordered crimes and violence against people, and said action concerning the Khimprom group had been discussed with the American side. In this address, the president named no specific service employees or proven instances of their involvement.
The president announced that he had approved a bill restoring asset declarations for all SSU employees, to allow scrutiny of their property and lifestyles. He asked the Verkhovna Rada to pass it without delay. The political pledge of scrutiny now requires a parliamentary decision: the future rules, their implementation timetable and actual access to asset checks will determine whether the promised accountability becomes practice.
Primary sources
Documents and statements this story is based on.
