Russian drone attacks on power facilities in northern and southern Ukraine overnight left nearly 60,000 customers without electricity, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowing to retaliate by ordering more strikes deep inside Russia.
Three and a half years into the war, Russia and Ukraine have both intensified air strikes in recent weeks. Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy and transport systems, while Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries and pipelines.
“We will continue our active operations in exactly the way needed for Ukraine’s defence. The forces and resources are prepared. New deep strikes have also been planned,” Zelenskiy said on X after meeting Ukraine’s top general, Oleksandr Syrsky, without giving further details of the plans.
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said Russian drones had attacked four energy facilities in the Odesa region during the night, and local authorities reported that 29,000 people were left without electricity early yesterday.
Hardest hit was the port city of Chornomorsk, just outside Odesa, where homes and administrative buildings were also damaged, said Oleh Kiper, the governor of the wider Odesa region.
“Critical infrastructure is operating on generators,” Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app. One person was injured in the attack, he said.
In waters close to the strategically important port, a civilian bulk carrier flying the flag of Belize sustained minor damage after hitting an unknown explosive device, two sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Russian drones also targeted Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region early yesterday, damaging energy infrastructure and leaving 30,000 households without electricity, including part of the city of Nizhyn, said local Governor Viacheslav Chaus.
The Ukrainian military said Russia had attacked Ukraine with 142 drones overnight and its air defence forces managed to shoot down most of them but the drones struck 10 locations.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had hit Ukrainian port infrastructure that it said was used for military purposes.
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