Russian attacks left Ukraine's southeastern regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia almost entirely without power, the country's energy ministry reported on Wednesday night.
Critical infrastructure was operating on reserve power, said the ministry in a Telegram statement, adding that water supplies and internet services also faced significant disruptions.
Recent days have seen an escalation in Russian assaults on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, targeting power supplies during a particularly harsh winter.
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, stated Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
The deteriorating weather has further strained essential services. The significant disruptions to power and heat infrastructure coincide with a plunge in temperatures.
State energy company Ukrenergo announced it would begin emergency restoration efforts as soon as security conditions permit. Dnipro city Mayor Borys Filatov assured residents that all city hospitals are operating on generators, maintaining necessary water supplies.
School holidays in the region have been extended to January 9 due to ongoing power outages. Meanwhile, the head of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration, Ivan Fedorov, indicated that efforts are ongoing to restore power and water utility workers have almost completed restoration efforts despite the blackouts.
Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy provider, noted the frequency and intensity of attacks have left them in permanent crisis mode, struggling to recover from strikes that target the grid continuously.
As the anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches, concerns remain regarding Ukraine's security guarantees from European allies, as discussed in a recent meeting where a potential troop deployment was considered if a peace agreement is reached.
