Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure late Wednesday left large parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and surrounding regions without electricity, water, heating, or communications, raising fears of a humanitarian catastrophe as temperatures are set to plunge below zero.
Authorities warned that the situation could become far more dangerous in the coming days if power and heating are not restored, as forecasts show nighttime temperatures dropping to minus 8°C this weekend and as low as minus 11°C from next Monday.
Cities plunged into darkness
The outages hit the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions after Russian attacks damaged critical energy facilities, according to Ukraine’s Energy Ministry.
Regional officials urged residents to stock up on water and prepare for extended outages. Emergency shelters known as “Points of Invincibility” – offering heat, water, and charging stations – are being deployed.
Mykola Lukashuk, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, said there is currently no timeline for restoring power.
“If you have water at home, make a reserve,” Lukashuk said, warning that key industrial and utility facilities in the region are also without electricity.
Residents reported that much of Dnipro was left without power, water, heating, internet, and mobile communications.
Hospitals on generators, schools closed
All hospitals in Dnipro have been switched to generators and continue operating, officials said. Water and sewage systems are being maintained using backup power.
Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov said the city had activated emergency response plans developed during previous large-scale attacks.
“We are using all the mechanisms the city has tested in past years,” Filatov said.
School holidays in Dnipro have been extended by two days. Around 130 technical water distribution points are operating across the city, and authorities say 89 Points of Invincibility can be opened if conditions worsen.
Zaporizhzhia: generators and silent sirens
In the Zaporizhzhia region, hospitals and water systems were also switched to generator power. Other elements of critical infrastructure remain operational, officials said.
Regional Military Administration head Ivan Fedorov said electricity supply restrictions were in place as repair crews work to stabilize the system.
Due to the blackout, air raid sirens cannot be heard in parts of Zaporizhzhia city. Authorities said patrol police would warn residents of missile threats using loudspeakers if necessary.
Repairs delayed by air alerts
Air raid alerts continued overnight in both regions, preventing immediate repair work. DTEK said energy crews would begin restoring power as soon as the security situation allows.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy said damage assessments and repairs would start immediately once it is safe.
Officials warn that the blackout could quickly turn into a humanitarian disaster if electricity and heating are not restored before the cold intensifies.
With temperatures expected to fall well below zero in the coming days, prolonged outages could leave thousands of residents without heat in apartment buildings, raising the risk of hypothermia, frozen pipes, and water system failures.
Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said the attacks were deliberate.
“This is intentional terror against civilians and an attempt to create a humanitarian catastrophe,” Kovalenko said, adding that the strikes show Russia’s unwillingness to de-escalate the war.
Part of wider strike campaign
The power outages followed a broader wave of Russian attacks on Jan. 7. Earlier in the day, a mass strike on Kryvyi Rih wounded at least eight people, two of them critically.
One of DTEK’s energy facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk region was also hit, causing equipment to catch fire.
As of Thursday morning, large parts of central and southern Ukraine remained without electricity, with authorities warning that the situation could deteriorate rapidly if attacks continue and freezing temperatures set in.