Drone strikes attributed to Ukrainian forces on Sunday caused extensive damage to power infrastructure in parts of southern Ukraine controlled by Russia. Officials installed by Moscow reported that more than 200,000 households were left without electricity, marking one of the largest outages in the region in recent months.
According to authorities in the occupied portion of the Zaporizhzhia region, key power lines and substations were hit during the attack, leaving hundreds of settlements temporarily cut off from the grid. Repair teams were deployed, though officials warned that full restoration could take days due to the scale of the damage and ongoing security risks.
The strikes came as Russia continued to carry out sustained attacks on Ukraine’s energy network, including overnight bombardments targeting facilities across several Ukrainian regions. Kyiv’s authorities confirmed at least two fatalities and multiple injuries, including civilians in Dnipropetrovsk, where emergency crews battled fires sparked by falling debris.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the past week alone saw the use of more than one thousand explosive drones and guided aerial bombs against energy infrastructure, highlighting what Kyiv describes as Russia’s ongoing effort to disrupt essential services during winter.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts resumed abroad. A high-level Ukrainian delegation arrived in the United States for discussions related to security guarantees and postwar reconstruction, with potential agreements expected to be finalized at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Zelenskyy warned that delays in diplomacy should prompt stronger international support, arguing that prolonged negotiations give Moscow time to continue pressure on the battlefield.
Cross-border incidents also drew attention. In Russia’s North Ossetia region, debris from a downed Ukrainian drone struck a residential building, injuring several people and forcing dozens to evacuate. Local authorities confirmed damage to roofs and window structures. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that more than sixty drones were intercepted overnight across Russia and Crimea.
Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced progress on repairs to a crucial power line feeding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Access for technicians was secured under a short-term ceasefire agreement, offering rare cooperative movement in an otherwise volatile theater of war.
With both sides increasingly targeting energy systems, analysts warn that strikes on power infrastructure have become a strategic tool intended to disrupt morale, pressure governments, and influence negotiations. As winter conditions deepen, civilians across both Ukrainian-held and Russian-occupied areas face continued uncertainty over heating and electricity supply.
“EU Calls Emergency Summit After Brief German Troop Deployment in Greenland and New U.S. Tariffs Spark Tensions – read this full blog immediately to understand the unfolding geopolitical drama.”
