October 21, 2026
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukrainian forces struck energy infrastructure in the city of Chystiakove, Donetsk Oblast, blackouts were reported in Crimea amid drone fire, and a telecommunications site in Luhansk was hit, monitoring channels reported on the night of Oct. 20-21.
A mass drone attack targeted Chystiakove, which has been occupied by Russian forces since 2014, monitoring channel Exilenova Plus reported.
Meanwhile, in Crimea’s Krasnoperekopskyi district, eyewitnesses first reported drone strikes near the local train station and the sound of Russian air defenses operating, according to pro-Ukrainian channel Crimean Wind.
Later, a Luhansk site previously used by Ukrainian telecom company Ukrtelecom before Russia’s 2014 occupation of the city was struck, Exilenova Plus reported.
Lugacom, also known as Luhansk Communications, a Russian-installed telecom provider in occupied Luhansk Oblast, now uses the site for technical support, telecommunications services and information technology (IT).
President Volodymyr Zelensky sanctioned the company and other Russian telecom providers in June.
Ukraine regularly strikes military targets in the occupied territories and deep within Russia as Kyiv aims to reduce Russia’s ability to wage its war.
On Oct. 18, Ukrainian forces struck an oil terminal, a data center, and a bridge in a large-scale overnight attack on St. Petersburg, Russian officials and media reported.
The targeted data center belonged to Russia’s largest social media platform, VK, also known as VKontakte. Drones also hit the St. Petersburg Oil Terminal.