A new Russian attack on Ukraine's border region of Chernihiv yesterday knocked out the power grid in parts of northern Ukraine, including in towns near the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, authorities said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
The local energy company “Chernigivoblenergo“ reported that the strike was directed at an energy facility, without specifying which one.
The mayor of the city of Slavutych, Yuriy Fomichev, reported on “Telegram“ that part of the city was left without electricity after the attack. The water supply has been switched to backup power, and heating in essential facilities continues to work. According to him, specialized teams are already working to restore power supply. Similar information was also confirmed by the head of the Kiev region.
Reuters Agency specifies that it cannot confirm the data from independent sources, and there is currently no official comment from the Russian side.
In recent weeks, Russia has targeted Ukraine's electricity and gas infrastructure with drones and missiles as winter approaches. The massive shelling of Kiev and other regions earlier this month left more than a million people without electricity.
The attacks have also forced Ukraine to temporarily shut down several major gas facilities, increasing the country's dependence on imports. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kiev could buy about $2 billion worth of gas from Europe, the United States and Azerbaijan this winter.
The city of Chernihiv, north of the capital, is a frequent target of Russian attacks. Over the weekend, another shelling of an energy facility left 55,000 customers without power. Similar power outages have been reported in other cities in northern Ukraine.
In the northeastern Kharkiv region, a senior official in Izyum reported that parts of the city were plunged into complete darkness.
Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko discussed the resilience of the energy system with lawmakers on Wednesday within the framework of a newly created body that will coordinate actions between parliament, the presidency and the government.
Since the beginning of August, Ukraine has also launched long-range strikes against Russian energy targets, including at least 58 attacks on key infrastructure facilities.