Power Outages Spread Across Ukraine as Kherson Ceasefire Nears End

A humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine’s Kherson region, which has facilitated the evacuation of civilians from the Russian‑occupied city of Oleshky, is scheduled to expire on Sunday night.

Although the localized truce on the front line has remained in effect since its implementation last week, hostilities have persisted in other areas.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia attacked energy infrastructure across four Ukrainian regions during the night from Saturday to Sunday, plunging hundreds of thousands of people into darkness.

An additional overnight strike claimed the lives of two civilians, among them a 13‑year‑old girl, in the Vinnytsia region, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

In a reciprocal action, Ukraine targeted a key missile fuel production facility in Russia’s Rostov region, igniting a fire that damaged four production units, Zelensky reported.

Repair crews worked throughout the day to restore electricity supplies. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, most customers had their power reinstated by early evening, though over 60,000 remained without electricity, the regional governor said.

Frequent assaults on energy facilities have prompted nationwide emergency power outages. The capital, Kyiv, has experienced electricity cuts for most of the day, and water supplies are also affected.

In a social media post, President Zelensky described the intensity of Russian strikes over the past week as “extremely high,” noting that Moscow is “seeking to exploit the shortage of ballistic missile interceptors to maximum effect.”

He further emphasized that Ukraine has been “communicating daily” its requirement for Patriot missiles—the only effective defense against Russia’s deadly ballistic missiles—to the United States, European allies, and other partners. He expressed gratitude for existing support and longer‑term commitments, while urging more immediate assistance.

The localized ceasefire in the Kherson region is slated to end at 22:59 Ukrainian time (21:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The limited pause in fighting, which began on Tuesday, was brokered with assistance from U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV.

Initially limited to the city of Oleshky—occupied by Russia since the outset of its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—the truce was subsequently broadened to encompass the entire Kherson region.

Oleshky, bordered by the Dnipro River on one side and Russian forces on the other, had its evacuation routes mined and vulnerable to drone attacks. Those trapped faced severe shortages of food, water, and electricity.

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