Rare blackouts have impacted the Ukrainian capital overnight and into Friday, along with some nine other regions plunged into darkness. While blackouts have been frequent in the eastern half of the country since the war began, they occur less commonly in Kiev.
But this is a sign of the escalating air campaign, also at a moment Ukrainian cross-border drone attacks keep wreaking havoc on Russian oil facilities.
“Energy workers are working to restore stable electricity supply as soon as possible,” Ukraine’s energy ministry said, noting that widespread outages have been reported in the east and central regions of the country.
Russia’s RIA-Novosti also mentioned damage done to power plants in Kiev with the headline, “Russian Armed Forces Conducted Massive Strikes on Power Facilities in Ukraine” – while RT overnight described, “Lights go out in Kiev after mass strikes knock out power.” It detailed:
In the early hours of Friday, Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko claimed that the Ukrainian capital came under a “massive attack,” adding that the left bank of Kiev was “currently without power” and that there were also problems with water distribution. He said nine people were injured, with five of them taken to the hospital. “The situation is difficult.”
Klitschko also reported several fires in the city, urging citizens to “stay in shelters,” adding that work is underway to restore power.
Multiple drones reportedly targeted the capital city’s Thermal Power Plant No. 6, a key power generating site.
AFP journalists cited eyewitnesses for the capital area’s “several powerful explosions overnight and experienced blackouts and water supply disruptions in various parts of the city.”
President Zelensky in an address estimated that over 450 drones and more than 30 missiles were involved in the nationwide attack which hit several regions mostly across the east but also unleashed devastation in Kiev.
The reported moment a key power generating site for the capital was hit:
Zelensky further called it a “cynical and calculated attack” and there are reports that a seven-year old boy was killed.
In all, Ukraine’s military still claimed to have downed 405 drones of the drones and and 15 missiles of the 30 inbound missiles, and so presumably the attack could have been much worse.