Russian Strikes Cut Power in Five Ukrainian Regions, Ukrenergo Says

Ukraine's national grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported on Wednesday that new Russian attacks had knocked out power to consumers in five regions of the country.

The company said the outages were recorded as of the morning of September 23, following renewed Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Ukrenergo did not immediately specify which five regions were affected or provide a timeline for restoring service.

Ukraine's energy system has been repeatedly targeted by Russian missile and drone strikes since the start of the full-scale invasion, with power plants, substations and transmission lines all coming under attack, particularly as colder months approach. Ukrainian officials have said such strikes are intended to undermine civilian morale and pressure the country's ability to sustain daily life through winter.

Ukrenergo, which manages the country's high-voltage transmission network, has periodically implemented emergency shutdowns and rolling blackouts following major attacks in order to stabilize the grid and prevent wider cascading failures. The company has previously urged residents in affected areas to conserve electricity during peak hours.

Repair crews are typically deployed once it is safe to do so, though the extent of damage and the risk of further strikes have at times slowed restoration efforts. Ukrainian authorities have continued to call on international partners for additional air defense systems and equipment to help protect and repair the energy grid.

Further details on the scale of Wednesday's outages, including how many households and businesses were affected and how long repairs are expected to take, were not immediately available.