Odesa Plunged Into Darkness After Heavy Russian Strikes on Ukraine’s Power Grid

Post by : Saif Nasser

Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa faced widespread power cuts on Saturday after a major Russian overnight attack damaged the country’s energy system. The assault left more than one million households across Ukraine without electricity, deepening the hardship faced by civilians as winter sets in.

According to Ukrainian officials, Russia launched one of its largest attacks in recent months, using more than 450 drones and around 30 missiles. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the main target of the strikes was the energy infrastructure, especially in the south of the country and around Odesa.

Writing on social media, Zelenskiy said thousands of families in at least seven regions were left without power. He described the damage as serious and said emergency teams were working nonstop to restore electricity where possible.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the attack was among the biggest Odesa has faced during the war. She confirmed that both electricity and water supplies were knocked out in many parts of the city. To help residents cope, authorities began bringing in non-drinking water to affected neighborhoods.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the blackouts affected more than a million households nationwide. He also reported that at least five people were wounded as a result of the strikes. Emergency services responded to damaged buildings and power facilities through the night.

The national power grid operator said a large number of homes were without electricity in Odesa and the nearby Mykolaiv region. The situation was even worse in the Ukrainian-controlled areas of the frontline Kherson region, where officials said there was a complete loss of power.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s energy system has been a frequent target. Repeated attacks on power plants and substations have caused daily blackouts in many parts of the country, disrupting normal life for millions of people.

Russia’s defence ministry said it had carried out strikes on Ukrainian energy and military-industrial facilities. Ukrainian officials, however, stressed that the attacks once again harmed civilians by cutting off basic services such as electricity and water.

As repair crews continue their work, the latest strikes underline the ongoing vulnerability of Ukraine’s infrastructure and the heavy toll the war continues to take on ordinary people, far from the front lines.