Russian Strikes Cause Major Blackouts in Ukraine Amid Winter Cold

Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight into Friday left hundreds of thousands of residents in central and southern regions without power, water, and heating, exacerbating hardships as winter temperatures plummet below freezing. The attacks targeted critical facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, with Ukrainian officials reporting widespread blackouts affecting more than 600,000 households in Dnipropetrovsk alone.

In Dnipropetrovsk, a regional hub that includes the city of Dnipro, the strikes knocked out electricity to large swaths of the population, prompting a state of emergency declaration. Local authorities said over a million people lost access to water supplies and heating systems, with restoration efforts underway but delayed by ongoing security threats. "The situation is difficult," said Vladyslav Haivanenko, the region's military administration head. "However, as soon as the security situation allows, energy workers will begin restoration work." Hospitals switched to generator power to maintain operations, while schools in Dnipro extended holidays by two days. Officials deployed around 130 water distribution points and prepared...