All non-critical infrastructure in the Ukrainian port of Odesa was without power after Russia used Iranian-made drones to strike two energy facilities, officials said on Saturday, adding that it could take months to repair the damage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 1.5 million people in the southern port city and the surrounding region were without electricity, and he described the situation as very difficult.
Since October, Moscow has targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with massive waves of missile and drone attacks.
The regional administration said people who relied solely on electricity to power their homes should consider leaving. Officials said the Russian strikes hit key transmission lines and equipment in the early hours of Saturday.
“According to preliminary forecasts, it will take much longer to restore energy facilities in the Odesa region than after previous attacks,” the administration said.
“We are not talking about days, but also weeks and maybe even two to three months,” says a post on Facebook.
Odesa, Ukraine’s largest port city, had a population of over 1 million before Russia’s February 24 invasion.
Kiev says Russia has launched hundreds of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones at targets in Ukraine and describes the attacks as war crimes because of their devastating effect on civilian life. Moscow claims they are militarily legitimate.
In an address, Zelensky said that there was a significant shortfall in the amount of energy being generated.
The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine said that two energy facilities in the Odesa region were hit by Shahed-136 drones.