Widespread power outages hit eastern Ukraine following Russian infrastructure strikes

Widespread power outages have struck eastern Ukraine following targeted overnight Russian missile and drone attacks against critical energy infrastructure. According to Ukrainian officials and national grid operator DTEK, over 600,000 residents in the Dnipropetrovsk region and an estimated 250,000 in the Kharkiv region lost electrical service due to significant facility damage.

The strikes marked a second consecutive night of bombardment aimed at the country's grid. The disruptions forced the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant onto emergency diesel generators to maintain vital reactor cooling operations. Russia's Ministry of Defence acknowledged targeting Ukrainian energy facilities alongside a commercial vessel. Local authorities expressed heightened alarm regarding potential winter heating and water supply failures.

Sources: France24, La Tribune, Libération, ORF, Tagesschau