A Russian attack on a power facility in Ukraine caused a power outage for 100,000 people in the northwest region of Sumy.
State grid operator Ukrenergo said the strike caused an emergency power outage for consumers in the city of Sumy and the region on the border with Russia, and that work was underway to restore power.
No casualties or damage were reported except for energy facilities, Reuters reported.
Russia continues to crack down on energy facilities across Ukraine, often plunging the country into lengthy blackouts and leaving people enduring scorching summers without running water, air conditioning, or life-saving medical equipment.
Only the past three monthsUkraine’s national energy company Ukrenergo said that Ukraine has lost 9 gigawatts of power generation capacity, with all thermal power plants lost due to enemy action and all hydroelectric power plants damaged by drone or missile attacks.
That’s enough to power the entire Netherlands during peak demand hours and is more than a third of Ukraine’s electricity capacity before a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, according to the national grid operator.
Poland has been diverting excess power to Ukraine to help it cope with the strike in Russia, but the Ukrainian government has planned to cut power throughout the day because domestic generation and power imports cannot cover the deficit.
Maria Tsaturian, from Ukrenergo, told the BBC she knew a lot of people were angry at her company for shutting down operations so frequently, for so long, and for so many clients. electricity. But, she said, there was no other option.
“We are at war. The energy sector is one of the targets of Russian terrorists. The reason is obvious: all of our lives, all of our civilization is based on electricity,” she said.
“This is the price we pay for our freedom.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force Command reported on Telegram that Ukrainian air defense systems shot down 24 of the 27 Shahed kamikaze drones launched by Russia on the night of July 5-6.
The drones were allegedly intercepted by electronic jamming and air defense systems in areas including the Sumui region.
