‘Massive attack’: Russian strikes cut power across northern Ukraine; repairs halted by ongoing drone assaults

A massive Russian strike on energy infrastructure left thousands without power in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region on Tuesday, according to the country’s energy ministry.

The regional capital and northern areas suffered a total blackout, with repair crews unable to begin work due to continued drone attacks.“Emergency crews in Chernihiv region are unable to begin work on restoring power supply due to continuous attacks by Russian drones,” the energy ministry said in a Telegram post, as cited by Reuters.Russian forces launched several ballistic missiles toward Chernihiv and nearby areas around 4 am (local time), possibly targeting a military training ground near the village of Honcharivske, Kyiv Post reported.

Vyacheslav Chaus, head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, confirmed that the region came under a “massive attack by strike drones,” adding that air defenses recorded 51 aerial targets, including two ballistic missiles.

“According to consolidated data from the Air Defense and Defense Forces, 51 air targets were recorded during the day, including two ballistic missiles,” he wrote.Two Shahed drones struck a heating facility and a power plant in separate parts of the Chernihiv district, cutting electricity to the city and several northern communities.

Critical infrastructure is operating on generators as energy crews work to restore supply.Chernihiv has been hit repeatedly in recent weeks, with Russian drone and missile strikes targeting power facilities and causing frequent blackouts. The energy ministry accused Moscow of using drones to hover over damaged sites, deliberately blocking repair efforts and prolonging the humanitarian crisis.Ukrainian officials say Russia is “weaponizing winter” by striking energy facilities ahead of the cold season- a charge Moscow denies, claiming it targets only military sites.

In response, Kyiv has intensified attacks on Russian oil refineries critical to its war operations.Across several Ukrainian regions, especially near the eastern front line, residents face extended power and water outages, relying on generators and stored supplies. Russia’s recent drone campaigns, employing hundreds of unmanned aircraft, some equipped with cameras for precision targeting, have increasingly overwhelmed Ukraine’s air defenses.Moscow carried out nationwide strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid during the winters of 2022 and 2023. This year, its attacks have become more concentrated, with recent bombardments focused on Chernihiv, Sumy, and Poltava, while Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Dnipro continue to face intermittent but persistent assaults, as reported by AP.