Ukraine Power Crisis: Russian strikes cut electricity to hundreds of thousands
Moscow reports major damage to an industrial site in Nizhny Novgorod region after Ukrainian drone attacks, while Kyiv targets missile production in Rostov.
By Nour Haddad ·
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported on Sunday that Russian overnight strikes on power infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions left hundreds of thousands of households without electricity. The attacks occurred while a six-day local ceasefire around the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky entered its final day without breaking. Fighting continued elsewhere along the front line as both sides maintained long-range air campaigns.
Zelenskiy stated that the intensity of the strikes was high and that Russia was attempting to exploit a shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. He confirmed that Ukrainian forces had struck the Kamensky plant in Russia’s Rostov region. Zelenskiy identified the facility as involved in the manufacture of Russian missiles. The Russian government did not provide an immediate comment regarding the specific hit in Rostov.
In the Nizhny Novgorod region, Governor Gleb Nikitin reported that a large-scale overnight Ukrainian drone attack caused major damage to an industrial facility. Nikitin did not identify the specific site that was hit. The region contains the NORSI oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest installations. The regional government took steps to ensure gas stations remained supplied with fuel. Officials urged motorists to purchase fuel only as needed and to avoid panic buying, suggesting the damaged facility was linked to local oil-refining or fuel-supply infrastructure.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its forces downed 235 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight. Ukraine’s air force countered that it had shot down 371 of the 433 long-range drones launched by Russia since Saturday evening. The air force reported that dozens of Russian drones remained in the air as of Sunday morning. Six separate drone alerts had been issued in Kyiv since midnight.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees the energy sector, appeared on state TV channel Vesti on Sunday. Novak did not mention the Nizhny Novgorod strike in the interview. He said Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries were adding to global fuel market imbalances and affecting prices. On Friday, Russia accused Kyiv of ignoring a request from US President Donald Trump to stop attacks on oil refineries. Trump has blamed these attacks for raising the cost of diesel before US midterm elections scheduled for next week. Ukraine maintains it supports a full ceasefire on energy targets, including its own power grid, but says Moscow is unwilling to agree.
Zelenskiy posted his update on Telegram. The Russian authorities’ report on the Nizhny Novgorod damage came through Interfax. The US midterm elections are set to occur next week. The local ceasefire in Oleshky was in its final day on Sunday.
