Russian FPV drone injures 3 energy workers in Sumy Oblast amid power outages in 12 oblasts
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A Russian FPV drone struck a vehicle carrying Ukrainian energy workers and injured three of them in Sumy Oblast on Nov. 9, according to Ukraine’s state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo.
All three workers were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. One of the injured workers is in critical condition, Ukrenergo said.
Russian forces deliberately targeted workers responsible for maintaining and repairing damaged energy infrastructure facilities, the company said.
"Today’s attack is yet another testament to the price paid for this work," Ukrenergo said.
The attack comes as Ukrainian energy workers repair infrastructure damaged by repeated Russian strikes to mitigate widespread power outages across the country.
On Nov. 9, outages were affecting 12 oblasts, with the situation particularly critical in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, Ukrenergo said. Emergency repair work is underway wherever security conditions allow to restore electricity to affected households, the company added.
Outages were reported in Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr oblasts, according to Ukrenergo.
Amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter, repeated strikes have damaged power facilities across the country, forcing authorities to introduce rolling blackouts and emergency power cuts.
A Russian mass strike on Nov. 3 marked the largest attack on Ukraine's energy facilities this year. The assault caused widespread power outages and disrupted water supplies across Kyiv for more than 24 hours.
Russia has also increasingly targeted power lines, complicating efforts to maintain electricity supplies as temperatures drop.
Overnight, on Nov. 9, power lines were hit in the village of Zolochiv, Kharkiv Oblast, and in the city of Kharkiv, according to Oleh Syniehubov. Meanwhile, in Odessa Oblast, local authorities reported massive attacks on the power grid and, in Rivne Oblast, an energy infrastructure facility was hit, also according to local authorities.
Emergency power outages were also introduced on the morning of Nov. 9 in Sumy, Poltava and Kharkiv oblasts due to the difficult situation in the power grid. Previously announced outage schedules in these regions have been suspended, Ukrenergo said.
