Ukraine Grid Damage: Blackouts Hit 850,000 Residents After Overnight Strikes

Russian strikes on energy infrastructure left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in the dark overnight, according to officials on Sunday. The attacks targeted power facilities across multiple regions, disrupting electricity supply and heating as temperatures dropped near freezing.

In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, utility company DTEK reported that more than 600,000 residents lost power. The company stated on Telegram that the night attack damaged critical energy facilities. DTEK said repair crews were working to restore service but noted the effort was complicated by repeated attacks on the grid.

The strikes followed a major assault the previous day that affected five regions and hampered transmission in Kyiv. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, Russian drones hit a critical infrastructure facility in the city of Zlatopil. Mykola Baksheyev, the mayor of Zlatopil, said nearly 250,000 customers in the region were left without electricity.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation as widespread power outages across the country. He reported that 140 apartment buildings in the Zhytomyr region lost heating following a Russian strike. Zelenskyy previously stated that Russia is increasing its attacks ahead of expected trilateral talks with Moscow next week.

Zelenskyy also addressed a drone strike on Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region. The village was hit by an aid distribution center attack on Monday, which became one of the deadliest incidents of the war. The death toll from that strike rose to 55 people, up from an earlier report of 50. Emergency services continued rescue operations under the rubble for seven days following the initial impact.

Zelenskyy said a new FPV drone attacked Komyshuvakha that morning. He indicated that more people may remain under the debris. The new strike occurred while recovery efforts were still ongoing at the site.

The power disruptions affect a large portion of the population in the affected areas. DTEK and local authorities continue to assess damage to the transmission lines and substations. The next round of diplomatic discussions is scheduled to take place next week.