Russian strikes leave 600,000 without power in eastern Ukraine
Russian shelling and attacks on energy facilities have cut electricity to about 600,000 people in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has also lost power.
About 600,000 people in Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region are without electricity after Russian shelling and strikes on energy infrastructure. The region is a key industrial area bordering active combat zones. The outage comes as Kyiv and Moscow prepare for another round of US-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi next week.
Repairs hampered
Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said power company workers are already trying to restore electricity, but constant Russian shelling is hindering their efforts. According to him, hospitals and other critical infrastructure are currently running on generators.
The blackout followed shelling in the region on Nov. 3 that damaged infrastructure. A wider attack targeting energy facilities took place across Ukraine the same day.
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant also lost power overnight. The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Sunday morning that the plant is relying on emergency diesel generators for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions.
Zelenskyy calls for tougher sanctions
Following the new wave of attacks on Saturday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged international partners to step up sanctions on Russia to limit its ability to buy or build more missiles. He stressed that the measures must be synchronized across Europe and G7 jurisdictions. In his words, if the world lacks sufficient anti-ballistic capabilities to protect Ukrainian skies, the missiles must be stopped on the production lines.
