Russian strikes leave more than 850,000 without power in Ukraine as repairs continue

Russian overnight strikes have left more than 850,000 people without power across Ukraine, according to officials and energy companies. The worst disruption was reported in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, where energy facilities were hit in what one company described as a massive attack on the power system. Authorities also reported outages in Kharkiv Oblast and heating losses in Zhytomyr, underscoring the wider reach of the latest assault.

DTEK said more than 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk region, including in the Pavlohrad, Samar, Kamianske and Dnipro districts and the city of Dnipro, lost electricity after the strike. Local authorities in Kharkiv said around 250,000 customers were left without power, although supply has since been restored there. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 140 apartment buildings in Zhytomyr were without heating after a separate strike, and he also reported a drone attack on Komyshuvakha.

The attacks add to pressure on Ukraine's energy network as winter approaches and repairs remain vulnerable to renewed strikes. Zelenskyy said Russia had fired 115 missiles, almost 1,900 guided aerial bombs and more than 3,000 attack drones against Ukraine over the past week. He also said Russian forces had targeted emergency workers at the site of a recent attack in Komyshuvakha, where rescuers were still searching after a bombing that killed at least 55 people earlier in the week.

The latest outages matter because energy infrastructure has become a central front in the war, affecting civilian access to electricity and heating while complicating repair work. Repeated attacks on generation and transmission facilities have forced Ukrainian authorities and utility workers into a cycle of restoration and renewed damage. The scale of the latest disruption shows how quickly a single wave of strikes can affect multiple regions at once.

What remains unclear is how long it will take to fully restore power and heating in the affected areas, and whether further strikes will slow repair work. It is also not yet clear whether the damage extends beyond the regions already reported. The next developments to watch are restoration progress, any revised outage figures, and whether attacks on energy infrastructure continue in the coming days.

Russian overnight strikes have left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity in eastern Ukraine, with the worst disruption reported in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions. The attacks damaged energy infrastructure and added to pressure on a power system already strained by repeated strikes. Officials and energy workers are now trying to restore supply while dealing with the risk of further attacks.

Ukraine's DTEK power company said more than 600,000 people in Dnipropetrovsk region lost electricity after an overnight strike on an energy facility. In Kharkiv region, another 250,000 people were left without power after an infrastructure site was hit. Mykola Baksheyev, the mayor of Zlatopil, said no casualties had been reported there and that engineers were working on repairs, although the timeframe for restoring electricity remained unknown.

The latest outages come a day after Ukraine's energy ministry said a separate major attack had plunged residents in five regions into darkness and significantly disrupted electricity transmission in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of intensifying strikes to increase pressure on Kyiv during United States-brokered trilateral talks due in Abu Dhabi. Russia's defence ministry has said it will continue strikes on Ukrainian fuel and energy infrastructure, which it says supports the military.

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The damage matters because Ukraine is heading into another winter with its energy network under sustained attack. Repeated strikes on generation and transmission facilities have become a central part of the war, affecting civilian access to power and complicating repair work. The scale of the latest outages shows how quickly a single attack can affect large parts of the grid across multiple regions.

The affected areas include districts around Pavlohrad, Samarivskyi, Kamianske and Dnipro, as well as the city of Dnipro, according to the power company. Engineers were reported to be on site, but repairs were said to be complicated by repeated attacks on the same facility. That pattern has made restoration efforts more difficult and has increased uncertainty for households and businesses dependent on stable electricity.

What remains unclear is how long the outages will last and whether further strikes will slow restoration work. It is also not yet known whether the damage will affect other parts of the grid beyond the areas already reported. The next developments to watch are repair progress, any new official casualty or outage figures, and whether the attacks continue during the current diplomatic talks.

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine has lost its external power supply after the Ferosplavna line was disconnected by protective systems following damage. The plant's Russian-installed management said backup diesel generators are now supplying the equipment needed for safe operation. It also said radiation levels at the site and in the surrounding monitoring zone remain normal.

According to the plant's management, the line was shut down automatically and staff are monitoring operational parameters closely. The statement said all necessary measures were being taken to maintain the safe condition of the power units. The loss of external electricity is significant because the plant depends on stable power to support safety systems, even when reactors are not producing electricity.

At the same time, Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure left hundreds of thousands of homes without power in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions. The DTEK power company said more than 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk were left without electricity after a night attack damaged important energy facilities. In Kharkiv region, a drone hit a critical infrastructure facility, and nearly 250,000 customers were reported without power.

The latest outages underline the continuing strain on Ukraine's energy system as winter approaches. Repeated attacks on power generation and transmission have become a central feature of the war, with officials warning that repairs are being complicated by further strikes. The disruption also adds to concerns around the Zaporizhzhia plant, which remains one of the most sensitive nuclear sites in Europe because of its location in an active war zone.

Ukraine's energy ministry said a major attack the previous day had already plunged residents in five regions into darkness and significantly hampered electricity transmission in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of intensifying strikes to increase pressure on Kyiv during US-brokered trilateral talks scheduled in Abu Dhabi. The pattern of attacks suggests energy infrastructure remains a key target in the wider conflict, with both civilian supply and nuclear safety affected.

What remains unclear is how long the Zaporizhzhia plant will need to rely on diesel generators and whether the damaged line can be restored quickly. It is also not yet clear when full power will return to the affected parts of Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv. The immediate focus will be on repair work, the stability of backup systems, and whether further strikes disrupt restoration efforts.

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