Power Outages in Southern Ukraine Amid Russian Attacks
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people in Russian-occupied regions of southern Ukraine were left without electricity, according to officials aligned with the Kremlin. Simultaneously, the Russian government has persisted with strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during nighttime hours, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals, according to Ukrainian sources.
In the Zaporizhzhya district, which is under Russian control, over 200,000 households were reported to be without power, as stated by a regional governor appointed by Moscow.
Evgeny Balitsky shared on Telegram that nearly 400 communities experienced power loss due to damage inflicted on the grid, allegedly from Ukrainian drone strikes.
Throughout the nearly four-year conflict, Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine’s power systems, particularly during the winter months. This approach, which officials in Kyiv have labeled “winter weaponization,” seems aimed at undermining the resolve of the Ukrainian people.
As reported by Ukraine’s Emergency Service, the energy infrastructure in the Odessa region was specifically targeted by Russian forces on Sunday night, leading to a fire that was swiftly contained.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, emergency services reported that at least six individuals sustained injuries from the Russian assault.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated via Telegram that the task of restoring the national energy system remains challenging, but efforts are being made to expedite repairs.
Zelenskyy stated that overnight attacks across various regions, including Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro-Zaporizhia, Khmelnitsky, and Odessa, resulted in two fatalities.
This week, he mentioned that Russia deployed over 1,300 attack drones, 1,050 guided bombs, and 29 missiles in its offensive against Ukraine.
“If Russia continues to intentionally stall the diplomatic efforts, the global response must be firm: increased support for Ukraine and heightened pressure on the aggressor,” Zelenskyy remarked.
His comments came shortly after a Ukrainian team arrived in the United States to engage in discussions regarding a U.S.-led diplomatic initiative aimed at concluding the nearly four-year conflict.
On Friday, Zelenskyy disclosed that his delegation seeks to finalize agreements with U.S. officials pertaining to a draft peace deal focused on security and recovery post-war.
At a news conference in Kyiv alongside Czech President Petr Pavel, Zelenskyy suggested that if U.S. officials approve the proposal, the U.S. and Ukraine could potentially sign it next week during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Organizers have confirmed that President Trump will also attend.
Russia will need to follow up on this proposal in future discussions.
