Three killed in Russian border region as drone war hits power grids
Ukrainian strikes caused outages in Crimea and a warehouse fire in Adygea, while Russian attacks damaged energy infrastructure in nine Ukrainian regions.
By Ethan Cook ·
Three people died in Russia's Belgorod region following Ukrainian drone strikes on Wednesday, local authorities announced. The casualties occurred in the border area while a new wave of attacks disrupted electricity services in multiple Ukrainian cities and parts of the occupied Crimean peninsula.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that overnight Russian strikes damaged power generation facilities and substations across nine regions. These attacks left many cities without emergency power. Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed via Telegram that its forces targeted two power stations in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions. Kyiv has previously accused Moscow of targeting its energy grid as winter temperatures drop.
The Russian attacks caused hours-long outages for power and water in Kyiv and surrounding areas. Residents in the capital were advised to use public drinking fountains. Emergency centers opened in the hardest-hit districts to provide hot tea and device charging points. According to Reuters, citing Ukrainian emergency services, strikes also affected the Poltava, Dnipro, Kirovohrad, and Rivne regions.
Power losses extended to Crimea, a peninsula of roughly 2.5 million people that Russia seized in 2014. Russia's Ministry of Energy stated that Ukrainian strikes hit energy infrastructure overnight, triggering temporary outage schedules. The ministry did not specify the number of affected households. A Moscow-installed official told Reuters that authorities in Crimea also ordered cuts following an accident outside the region.
A Ukrainian drone attack started a fire at a major Ozon warehouse in the town of Adygeysk, in the Republic of Adygea. Regional head Murat Kumpilov said the strikes targeted the distribution facility. Ozon announced that all workers were evacuated without injury. The company removed damaged goods from its online listings and rerouted deliveries. Russia's Defence Ministry said it shot down 709 Ukrainian drones across 14 regions, Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow hopes President Donald Trump will continue his peace efforts following a Democratic victory in the congressional midterms. Peskov stated that Trump continues to exercise his powers and that Russia sincerely hopes he will maintain his peacemaking work. When asked if a change in Congress could hinder these efforts, Peskov described it as an internal matter for America. Democratic control of the legislature is expected to bring a more vocal pro-Kyiv majority when Congress convenes in January.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy awarded US First Lady Melania Trump the Order of Princess Olga. The presidential decree cited her contribution to humanitarian aid and children in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said she helped organize a six-day local ceasefire to evacuate civilians from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, which ended on Sunday.
