Russia attacked energy infrastructure in Ukraine: power outages in 12 regions

Russian attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine caused power outages in 12 regions. The strikes coincide with American diplomatic efforts to end the war, amid a visit by American representatives to Moscow.

Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight caused power outages in 12 regions across the country. This was announced today (Friday) by Ukrainian Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov. The strikes come alongside U.S. diplomatic efforts to end the war, amid a visit by American representatives to Moscow for talks with the Russian leadership. According to the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, power outages were recorded in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Rivne, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernihiv regions. Authorities have not yet stated how many residents remain without power or when supply is expected to be fully restored. "Energy workers are working at an accelerated pace, but the new strikes and the constant alarms are making repair work difficult and delaying it," Nekrasov said. The attacks come amid another round of talks between U.S. administration representatives and Russia, in an attempt to advance an agreement to end the war. American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In Ukraine, there are fears that continued damage to energy infrastructure, as the cold winter months approach, will lead to prolonged power outages and disruptions to heating supply for millions of residents.