Russian strikes cut power across Ukraine as Kherson ceasefire ends
Overnight strikes left hundreds of thousands without power in four regions, Zelenskyy said, as a six-day Oleshky evacuation truce expired.
The story in focus
Russian overnight strikes hit energy infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. A localized six-day ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky, which let civilians evacuate, was due to end Sunday night as fighting continued elsewhere along the front line.
- Zelenskyy said strikes hit power infrastructure in four regions, cutting electricity to hundreds of thousands of households.
- A six-day ceasefire around Oleshky, brokered with help from Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, was due to expire at 22:59 Ukrainian time.
- Evacuees from Oleshky traveled via southern Russia and Belarus before crossing into Ukraine; the oldest was 94 and the youngest was one, per ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
- Overnight strikes killed two people, including a 13-year-old girl, in Vinnytsia region, the State Emergency Service said.
- More than 60,000 customers in Dnipropetrovsk region remained without power by early evening, the regional governor said.
Strikes and outages
Russian forces struck energy infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions overnight from Saturday into Sunday, Zelenskyy said, cutting electricity to hundreds of thousands of households. Emergency power cuts have been introduced nationwide because of repeated attacks; in Kyiv, electricity is off for most of the day and water supplies are disrupted.
The State Emergency Service said a separate overnight strike in Vinnytsia region killed two people, including a 13-year-old girl. Repair crews worked through Sunday: the Dnipropetrovsk governor said most connections were restored by early evening, but more than 60,000 customers remained without power.
Zelenskyy said strike intensity over the past week had been extremely high and accused Russia of trying to exploit a shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. He said Ukraine raises its need for Patriot systems with the US, Europe and other partners daily.
Ceasefire expires
The localized ceasefire in Kherson region was due to end at 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday. The pause, which began Tuesday and was brokered with help from US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, was initially limited to Oleshky and later expanded to the wider region.
Oleshky had been hemmed in by the Dnipro river and Russian forces, with exit routes mined and exposed to drone attack; residents faced shortages of food, water and electricity. The truce let residents leave, and evacuees reunited with relatives on Saturday. They traveled through Russian-occupied territory to southern Russia, flew to Belarus, then crossed Ukraine's northern border. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said evacuees ranged from one to 94 years old.
Strikes inside Russia
Ukraine struck the Kamensky plant in Russia's Rostov region, which Zelenskyy said produces missiles; the strike caused a fire and damaged four production facilities, he said. Moscow did not comment. Separately, Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin said a large overnight Ukrainian drone attack caused significant damage to an industrial facility, without identifying it; the region hosts the NORSI refinery. Russia's Defense Ministry said it downed 235 Ukrainian drones overnight, while Ukraine's air force said it shot down 371 of 433 long-range drones launched by Russia since Saturday evening.
What did the Oleshky ceasefire allow civilians to do?
It allowed residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky to evacuate if they chose. Evacuees traveled through southern Russia and Belarus before crossing into Ukraine, with ages ranging from one to 94, per ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
Sources & further reading
- Russian strikes cut power to thousands in Ukraine as Kherson ceasefire to end within hours ↗BBC News
- Russian strikes cut power to thousands in Ukraine, despite Trump’s energy ceasefire push ↗NBC News
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