Russian strikes cut power across southeastern Ukraine amid deep freeze

Russian attacks late on Wednesday (7 January) left almost all of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions without electricity, Ukrainian authorities said, amid freezing temperatures and worsening winter conditions.

Hospitals, water facilities and other critical infrastructure were operating on reserve power, with emergency crews working through the night to restore electricity, water and heating, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said repairs were being carried out in an “intensified manner” in Dnipropetrovsk while ensuring the safety of staff.

In Zaporizhzhia, authorities relied on alternative power sources to maintain water supplies.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko warned that temperatures were set to fall to minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) overnight, which could compound disruptions to power and heating.

“Ukraine’s energy system is under enemy attacks every day, and energy workers are operating in extremely difficult conditions to provide people with light and heat,” she wrote on Telegram.

Public broadcaster Suspilne reported widespread outages in the city of Dnipro, where the metro had stopped running, and in other areas of the region. Schools have extended their holidays by two days as power restoration continues.

Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the military administration in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home city, said conditions were particularly difficult in two districts where crews were restoring electricity. Generators were being deployed where possible, he added.

Ukrainian Railways said trains and signalling systems in the affected regions had switched to reserve systems, with stations operating using backup generators.

Zaporizhzhia Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said the blackout had affected air raid sirens, though electricity had been restored at “key facilities.” He urged residents to limit use of mobile networks operating in emergency mode.

Russian authorities have not issued a specific response to the latest outages, but state‑linked commentary and official media generally frame strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as part of their ongoing military campaign.

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Analysts note that Moscow’s forces have repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy system throughout the conflict, a tactic Russian defence commentators characterise as aimed at degrading Kyiv’s war‑fighting capacity and forcing Kyiv to divert resources, even as Ukrainian officials condemn the strikes as attacks on civilians. 

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