Russian Strikes Leave Parts of Odesa Without Power Ahead of Winter

TDT | Manama

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Early Saturday, an overnight Russian attack cut electricity to parts of Ukraine's southern Odesa region, marking the latest strike on the country’s energy infrastructure ahead of the harsh winter months, authorities reported.

The full extent of the blackout remains unclear, but Ukrainian energy company DTEK confirmed outages in several areas of Odesa city. By Saturday morning, the company said it had restored power to more than 240,000 households across the region.

“Last night, the enemy attacked energy and civilian infrastructure in the Odesa region,” regional governor Oleg Kiper wrote on Telegram. He added that power engineers were working around the clock to fully restore electricity.

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Kyiv says Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy grid during winter, leaving millions without power or heating and disrupting water supplies—actions Ukraine calls a deliberate attack on civilians. Russia denies targeting civilians, claiming its attacks focus on energy sites used to support Ukraine’s military.

Saturday’s blackout follows a major Russian strike on Friday that left large parts of the capital, Kyiv, and nine other regions without electricity. DTEK reported that over 800,000 households in Kyiv had their power restored early Saturday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Friday’s attacks as a “record for villainy” and urged Western countries to step up sanctions against Moscow.