After massive Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight on Wednesday, thousands of households in several regions of the country were left without electricity, the national operator "Ukrenergo" reported, quoted by the BBC.
According to official data as of this morning, the Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Odessa regions were the hardest hit, where teams are working on emergency restoration activities.
About 30,000 households were left without electricity in the Odessa region, local authorities confirmed. Some of the strikes affected substations and high-voltage lines, which led to a partial interruption of power supply and a drop in power in the southern regions of the country.
According to the statement of "Ukrenergo" In connection with the complex situation in the national energy system, scheduled hourly power outages have been introduced in several regions from 08:00 to 22:00 on Wednesday.
"In these areas, power limitation schedules for industrial consumers between 07:00 and 22:00 will also be in effect," the company specified.
The energy authorities have called on citizens to use electricity sparingly: "If you currently have electricity, we ask you to limit the use of powerful electrical appliances until 22:00," says an address from "Ukrenergo".
Russia has again intensified air strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure with the onset of the autumn-winter season, trying to hinder the country's electricity supply and heating. Ukrainian authorities say this is part of Moscow's strategy to pressure the civilian population by destroying critical infrastructure.
Emergency recovery work continues in all affected areas, with priority given to supplying power to hospitals, water supply facilities, and civil defense systems.