– Ukrainian Drone Strikes Disrupt Power to Hundreds of Thousands in Russia-Occupied Ukraine

Ukraine Drone Strikes Leave Hundreds of Thousands Without Power in Occupied Territories

KYIV, Ukraine⁤ (AP) -⁢ Ukrainian drone strikes damaged energy networks in russia-occupied parts of southern Ukraine on Sunday,⁤ leaving hundreds ‍of thousands of people without power, according to Kremlin-installed authorities.

Simultaneously occurring, Russia continued its attacks ⁤on Ukraine’s energy grid overnight, ⁤killing at least two people, Ukrainian officials reported.

More than 200,000 households in the ⁤Russia-held part⁣ of Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia ⁢region were without electricity, according to⁤ the Kremlin-installed local governor, Yevgeny Balitsky. He stated in a Telegram post that nearly 400 settlements had their supply cut⁣ due to damage from the drone strikes.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid, notably during the winter months, throughout the nearly four-year war.‍ Kyiv officials describe these strikes as a strategy to weaken Ukrainian resistance,calling it “weaponizing winter.”

Ukraine’s Emergency Service reported that Russia targeted energy infrastructure in the Odesa region overnight ‍Sunday, causing a fire‍ that was quickly extinguished.

Six people were wounded⁣ in the Dnipropetrovsk region from Russian attacks, the emergency service said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged ⁣the challenges of⁣ repairing the country’s energy⁢ system, stating in a Telegram post, “but we are doing everything ‍we can to ⁣restore everything as quickly as possible.” He also reported that two⁤ people were killed in overnight attacks across the country, impacting Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa.

Zelenskyy⁣ said Russia used more than 1,300 attack drones, ‍1,050 guided aerial bombs‍ and ⁤29 missiles of various types to strike⁢ Ukraine⁢ this week.

U.S. Talks

“If Russia⁣ deliberately delays the diplomatic process,⁣ the world’s respo