The Ukrainian army said today that it had prevented Russian forces from crossing the Oskol River near the eastern city of Kupyansk – a natural barrier that plays the role of a front line in the area, reported France Press.
„After a successful operation, the enemy was destroyed. The right bank of the Oskol River is under the control of Ukrainian forces”, the army general staff said in a statement.
New Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure have led to widespread power outages in the western part of the country, hundreds of kilometers from the front line, Ukrainian authorities said today.
Last night, a Russian drone struck a “power infrastructure facility” in Ternopil, a city with a population of over 220,000 people, its mayor, Sergii Nadal, announced in “Telegram”.
„Part of the city is without electricity,” he added, urging residents to stock up on water and charge their phones.
The city was hit by another drone attack yesterday, which killed a civilian and injured at least three people, and experienced major blackouts in November that left thousands without power.
Another attack by Moscow last night was aimed at the neighboring Rivne region, the regional administration reported in “Telegram”.
„The goal was the energy infrastructure”, said regional governor Oleksandr Koval. There were no casualties in the strike, he added, without giving details of the damage.
Western Ukraine has been relatively spared since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, but Moscow has recently stepped up its strikes across the country's energy infrastructure to disrupt power supplies during the winter and undermine Ukrainian morale.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that Russian forces have established control over two new Ukrainian settlements – Romanovka in eastern Donetsk Oblast, and Novodarovka in southern Zaporozhye Oblast.
Reuters could not independently confirm this information.