A Russian air strike on a power facility in Ukraine’s north-western Sumy region has left 100,000 residents without electricity. National grid operator Ukrenergo reported that efforts are ongoing to restore power following the air strike attack, which led to emergency shut-offs for consumers in the Sumy city and region, which is near the Russian border.
According to News Agency, there were no reports of casualties or other damage beyond the energy facility due to air strike. Russia’s ongoing assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have frequently caused prolonged blackouts, leaving people without running water, air conditioning, or essential medical equipment during sweltering summer conditions.
Read more: At Least 12 Killed in Russian Attacks on Ukraine
Over the past three months, Ukraine has lost nine gigawatts of generating capacity, as stated by the national energy company Ukrenergo. This loss includes all thermal power plants and significant damage to hydroelectric sites from drone and missile air strikes. This amount of energy could power the Netherlands during peak hours and represents over a third of Ukraine’s pre-invasion capacity in February 2022.
To assist, Poland has been supplying surplus electricity to Ukraine, but the deficit has forced Ukrenergo to implement scheduled power cut-offs throughout the day nationwide. Maria Tsaturian from Ukrenergo told that while she understands the frustration directed at her company for frequent and prolonged outages, there are no alternatives given the circumstances.
“We are at war, and the energy sector is a primary target for Russian terrorists. Our entire civilization depends on electricity,” she said. “This is the price we pay for freedom.”
In related news, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 24 out of 27 Shahed kamikaze drones launched by Russia on the night of July 5-6, according to the Air Force Command on Telegram. The drones, targeted over areas including the Sumy region, were brought down using electronic jamming and anti-air defenses.
