Thousands are left without power in southern Ukraine’s Odesa region after a Russian strike on Ukraine’s energy grid overnight on Sunday.
Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa Regional State Administration, reported Sunday morning that the attack cut power to over 29,000 households, with Chornomorsk and surrounding areas hit hardest.
“Private homes and administrative buildings were also damaged. Fires broke out in some places, which were quickly extinguished by our rescuers. One person is known to have been injured,” Kiper wrote in his Telegram update at around 7:39 a.m.
Chornomorsk is located less than 20 km (12 miles) south of the regional capital Odesa, another frequent target of Russian strikes.
Energy operator DTEK later wrote at 9 a.m. that four of its facilities in the region had been targeted by Russian attacks overnight, adding that it would assess the damage after rescue work was completed.
“The enemy continues its energy terror in the Odessa region. Four DTEK energy facilities were attacked during the night attack,” the company wrote in a Facebook update.
“As soon as the energy workers receive permission from the military and rescuers, they will immediately begin inspecting the equipment and carrying out emergency restoration work.”
According to the Ukrainian Air Force’s Sunday morning update, it downed 126 out of 142 Russian drones and decoys overnight across northern, southern and eastern Ukraine.
“Sixteen strike [unmanned aerial vehicles] UAVs were recorded hitting 10 locations, and downed ones (fragments) fell in six locations,” the update says.
In recent months, Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged tit-for-tat strikes on energy facilities as prospects for peace talks have dimmed.
Ukraine has hit multiple Russian oil facilities in recent weeks – including the Druzhba pipeline supplying Hungary – while Moscow has targeted Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, including Azeri-operated refineries, drawing ire from Baku.