Ukraine Drone Strike Leaves Over 200,000 Without Power in Russian-Held Zaporizhzhia
More than two hundred thousand people lost electricity in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on Sunday. Moscow-installed local authorities reported the outage followed a Ukrainian drone strike.
Energy Infrastructure Damaged in Late Saturday Attack
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russia-appointed governor of Zaporizhzhia region, confirmed the strike occurred late Saturday. He said the attack damaged critical energy infrastructure, cutting power to hundreds of thousands of consumers.
Balitsky posted on Telegram that restoration work was already underway. However, he noted nearly four hundred settlements remained without electricity as reported by Reuters.
The power outage comes during freezing winter temperatures across southeastern Zaporizhzhia. Approximately seventy-five percent of this region remains under Russian control.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure throughout the nearly four-year war. These attacks have triggered rolling blackouts and disrupted heating systems, especially during winter months.
Separate Drone Attack Injures Civilians in North Ossetia
Authorities in Russia's North Ossetia region reported another Ukrainian drone strike. This attack hit a residential building in the town of Beslan located in the Caucasus mountains.
The strike injured two children and one adult according to local officials.
Zelenskyy Acknowledges Difficult Energy Situation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the strain on his country's energy system. He praised repair crews working under harsh winter conditions.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to all repair crews working around the clock. He said these teams were restoring the energy sector after Russian strikes.
"In every city, in every community, you are restoring light, heating, and water supplies in harsh weather conditions," Zelenskyy stated.
He emphasized this work was strengthening Ukraine's internal resilience despite challenging circumstances. "This is extremely hard work, but it is precisely this kind of effort that strengthens our country's internal resilience and supports our positions in diplomacy," he added.
Ukraine Faces Heavy Overnight Attacks
Zelenskyy reported Ukraine came under heavy attack overnight. He said Russian forces launched "over two hundred strike drones" across several regions including Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa.
Dozens of people were injured in these attacks including one child. Two people were killed according to the Ukrainian president.
Highlighting the scale of recent assaults, Zelenskyy said more than 1,300 attack drones had been launched against Ukraine in just one week. Russian forces also fired around 1,050 guided aerial bombs and 29 missiles during the same period.
The Ukrainian leader renewed calls for more air defence support from international partners.
Ukraine Confirms Strikes on Russian Military Targets
Ukraine's military provided its account of recent operations. They confirmed carrying out strikes against Russian military targets in occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
In a statement on January 16, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said their units struck an ammunition depot. This depot belonged to Russia's 76th Guards Air Assault Division near the city of Prymorsk in occupied Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukrainian forces recorded a direct hit on the ammunition depot. The extent of damage is still being assessed according to state news agency United24media.
The military also confirmed damage from an earlier strike on the Atlant Aero drone manufacturing facility. This facility is located in the Russian city of Taganrog.
Ukrainian forces said the facility produces strike and reconnaissance drones for the Russian military. The attack caused damage to assembly workshops, production units and administrative buildings.
"The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to systematically implement measures aimed at weakening the offensive capabilities and military-economic potential of the Russian occupiers," the General Staff stated.
