KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – A drone attack in Ukraine's southwestern Odesa region resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals, as reported by local authorities on Sunday. The attack, specifically targeting a car park along Ukraine's Black Sea coast, also left three others injured according to the State Emergency Service. Odesa's regional head, Oleh Kiper, shared this update following the incident that occurred in the early hours of Sunday.
In a related escalation, Russian forces launched drone and missile attacks on the front-line Zaporizhzhia region overnight. This offensive left approximately 60,000 homes without power and resulted in two additional injuries. Photos shared by Zaporizhzhia's regional head, Ivan Fedorov, depicted buildings that had been reduced to rubble from the strikes, illustrating the extensive damage inflicted on the area.
These attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure led to rolling power cuts in several regions, according to the national energy operator, Ukrenergo. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry confirmed that not only the partially occupied Donetsk region but also parts of the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions were experiencing electrical outages. These moves are part of Russia's ongoing strategy to target Ukraine’s power grid as the colder winter months approach.
As Ukrainian cities rely on centralized public infrastructure for essential services such as water, sewage, and heating, the blackouts hinder these systems from functioning properly. The intent behind these strikes is not only to disrupt the operational capacity of Ukraine’s infrastructure but also to undermine civilian morale and impede military supply chains, nearly four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Military analysts and officials noted a shift in Moscow's tactics this year, focusing on specific regions and critical gas infrastructure to amplify the effectiveness of its operations. The Russian military has reportedly enhanced its drone capabilities, launching hundreds of drones, some equipped with advanced targeting cameras that can penetrate weaker air defenses more effectively.
In contrast, Ukraine has retaliated by targeting critical infrastructure in Russia. A Ukrainian drone strike on Sunday attacked an oil tanker and surrounding infrastructure at the Tuapse port, igniting multiple blazes within the facility. Images circulated on social media showed flames engulfing various structures, although the Associated Press could not independently verify the footage. Sources within Ukrainian intelligence confirmed that this operation was executed by special forces and involved multiple drone strikes.
Local Russian officials reported that "two foreign civilian ships" sustained damages from the strikes. The Tuapse port is known for its significant oil export terminal and refinery, owned by the state-run Russian oil company Rosneft. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that long-range strikes on refineries within Russia have diminished Moscow's oil refining capacity by 20%, based on intelligence gathered from Western countries.
Oil exports are crucial for financing Russia's military endeavors in Ukraine, and as Ukraine intensifies its attacks on refineries, new sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union aim to restrict Moscow's oil and gas revenue streams.
For continuous coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Associated Press provides regular updates on the situation.
