KYIV — Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa and nearby regions were hit by widespread power outages on Saturday following a large-scale overnight Russian assault targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said.
Authorities reported that the attack, involving hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, severely damaged power facilities across southern Ukraine. As a result, more than one million households nationwide were left without electricity, with Odesa among the hardest-hit areas.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia launched more than 450 drones along with over 30 missiles in the latest wave of strikes. Writing on social media, he stated that the attacks were primarily aimed at Ukraine’s energy system, particularly in the south, leaving thousands of families across multiple regions without power.
Ukraine’s prime minister described the assault as one of the most intense attacks Odesa has faced since the start of the war. She confirmed that electricity and water supplies were disrupted in parts of the city and said emergency services were delivering non-drinking water to affected neighborhoods.
The interior ministry reported that at least five people were injured during the strikes and confirmed that power cuts extended far beyond Odesa. Southern regions including Mykolaiv were partially blacked out, while Ukrainian-controlled areas of the Kherson frontline region were completely without electricity.
Ukraine’s national grid operator said restoration work was underway but warned that damage to key facilities was significant, making repairs complex and time-consuming.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy network since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, aiming to disrupt daily life and strain critical infrastructure. The sustained campaign has caused recurring blackouts across the country, particularly during periods of increased military pressure.
Moscow’s defense ministry said the strikes were directed at Ukrainian energy and military-industrial sites, a claim Ukrainian officials say underscores Russia’s continued strategy of crippling civilian infrastructure.
As winter deepens, Ukrainian authorities have warned that continued attacks on power and heating systems pose serious humanitarian risks, especially in densely populated cities like Odesa that rely heavily on centralized utilities.