Ukraine Power Cut by Russian Strikes as Kherson Ceasefire Nears Completion

A temporary humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson sector of Ukraine is scheduled to conclude on Sunday evening. The front-line truce, which began the previous week, facilitated the evacuation of civilians from the Russian-held city of Oleshky. Oleshky had been under Russian occupation since the commencement of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, boxed in by Russian troops and the Dnipro river, with surrounding paths heavily mined and targeted by drones. Trapped locals faced severe shortages of electricity, water, and food.

The limited cessation of hostilities was arranged with assistance from US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, initially focusing on Oleshky before expanding to the broader Kherson area. During the evacuation, individuals traveled through Russian-controlled land to southern Russia, flew to Belarus, and were subsequently driven back across Ukraine’s northern frontier. According to Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, the evacuees ranged in age from a one-year-old infant to a 94-year-old resident. Saturday saw emotional reunions as evacuees met family members whom they had not seen for years.

While this localized pause held, conflict persisted across other territories. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian bombardments targeted energy grids across four regions during the night between Saturday and Sunday, plunging hundreds of thousands of residents into darkness. In the Vinnytsia region, an overnight strike resulted in two fatalities, including a 13-year-old girl, as confirmed by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. In response, Ukrainian forces struck a primary missile fuel manufacturer inside Russia’s Rostov region, sparking a fire and harming four production units.

Crews worked throughout Sunday to repair damaged energy networks. Although power was largely brought back to the Dnipropetrovsk region by early evening, the regional governor noted that over 60,000 consumers remained without electricity. Nationwide emergency power outages have been enacted due to frequent strikes on power systems, leaving Kyiv without electricity for the majority of the day and impacting water availability.

Zelensky highlighted that Russian attack intensity remained extremely high over the preceding week, accusing Moscow of exploiting a shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. He emphasized that Kyiv continually requests Patriot missiles—described as the sole effective defense against Russian ballistic missiles—from the United States, European nations, and other international allies. While expressing gratitude for past assistance and long-term pledges, Zelensky urged for accelerated, immediate support.

Sources: BBC World

Aggregated summary. Original: BBC World