Russian energy strikes leave hundreds of thousands without power in eastern Ukraine

Russian aerial attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure have left over 850,000 people without electricity across eastern regions, according to local authorities and energy provider DTEK.

The strikes targeted critical facilities overnight, cutting power to more than 600,000 households in the Dnipropetrovsk region and an estimated 250,000 in Kharkiv. The bombardment also compromised external power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, forcing operators to deploy emergency backup diesel generators to maintain essential cooling operations.

Russia's Ministry of Defence confirmed launching strikes aimed at Ukrainian energy installations and a commercial container vessel. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the targeting of civilian infrastructure, warning of severe risks to heating and water supplies as winter approaches. Utility crews are conducting emergency repairs, though officials indicated further rolling blackouts may be required.

Sources: La Tribune, Libération, ORF, Politico Europe (Defense), Tagesschau