Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure have resulted in over 20,000 individuals being left without power in various Russian border regions, as per local authorities’ reports. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov highlighted the significant damage to the electricity and heating supply network in the regional capital of Belgorod. He mentioned that several streets are experiencing power problems, leading to more than 20,000 residents being without electricity.
In the western Kursk region, a fire erupted at a power plant in the village of Korenevo, causing power outages in 10 localities, as announced by Governor Alexander Khinshtein. Additionally, a fire broke out at a heating facility in the southern Voronezh region, according to Governor Alexander Gusev. The Russian defense ministry reported the interception of 44 drones over the border Bryansk region.
Concurrently, Ukraine is working to restore electricity and heating following Russian assaults on energy infrastructure. The state’s power provider indicated that its generating capacity had been reduced to zero. Moscow’s intensified attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure culminated in numerous drones targeting energy facilities throughout the country.
The Russian assaults disrupted electricity, heat, and water supplies in various cities, prompting state power company Centerenergo to warn of its diminished generating capacity. Centerenergo stated that an unprecedented volume of missiles and drones targeted the thermal power plants that had been previously restored after a devastating attack in 2024.
Ukrenergo, the state power transmission system operator, stated that power would be intermittently cut for eight to 16 hours a day in most Ukrainian regions as repairs were undertaken and energy sourcing diverted. Ukraine’s energy minister described the situation as one of the most challenging nights since Russia’s military intervention in February 2022.
Although the situation had somewhat improved, regions like Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Chernigiv, and Sumy could still experience regular power disruptions, noted Svitlana Grynchuk on Saturday evening. Ukrainian officials indicated that Russian drones targeted two nuclear power substations in western Ukraine, prompting Kyiv’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga to urge the UN’s nuclear watchdog to take action. The substations powered the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear plants, located approximately 120 and 95 kilometers (75 and 59 miles) from Lutsk.