Energy Ministry reports blackouts in 408 settlements

Power cuts have left 408 settlements across Ukraine without access to electricity over the past day, the Energy Ministry reported on Dec. 7.

The cause of the blackouts is due to active hostilities in regions near the front line and technical problems in the power network, the Energy Ministry said. Russian attacks often target civilian infrastructure, including the power grid.  

Donetsk Oblast has the highest number of settlements without access to power, where 114 settlements are without electricity and 134,900 energy distribution points are disconnected from the grid.

According to the ministry, Russian attacks left 17,700 consumers in Donetsk Oblast without electricity over the past day.

Another region that has been majorly affected by blackouts is Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where 63 settlements, or around 26,000 consumers, are cut off from electricity due to the ongoing hostilities.

Similar numbers were reported in Kherson Oblast, where over 26,000 consumers, or 45 settlements, are still experiencing blackouts due to Russian attacks.

Russian attacks left 3,600 consumers cut off from power in the city of Kherson, while 302 have been reconnected.

In Kharkiv Oblast, another front-line region, 16,300 consumers were cut off after the energy network was damaged by shelling.

Power has since been restored to 1,500 consumers, as well as 100 consumers who were temporarily left without gas supply after an attack damaged a gas pipe, the Energy Ministry said.

Russian attacks also left 54 settlements in Sumy Oblast and 19 settlements in Chernihiv Oblast without electricity.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the Energy Ministry said that 3,000 consumers lost power due to technical reasons. They have since all been reconnected.

Ukrenergo: Power plant still operating despite 3 Russian strikes

Russian forces launched three overnight strikes against a thermal power plant in one of Ukraine’s eastern oblasts but failed to halt its operations, Ukraine’s state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo reported on Dec. 6.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek