Local authorities announced on Saturday that all non-critical infrastructure in the city has been de-energized. Odessa coastal areas in southern Ukraine after Russia launched drones to strike energy facilities, with much of the surrounding area also damaged.
Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov wrote on Facebook: “Due to the scale of the damage, electricity has been cut off in Odessa for all users, except for critical infrastructure facilities,” Reuters reported.
15 marches
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine said that Iranian Shahed-136 drones hit two energy facilities in the region Odessa.
In turn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine wrote on Facebook that 15 of these drones, which can carry explosives and fly towards their targets, were fired at targets in the southern regions of Odessa and Nikolaev, but 10 of them were shot down.
Main lines and equipment were damaged
The city administration also released a statement via the Telegram app saying that early Saturday morning, Russian strikes hit trunk lines and power transmission equipment in the Odessa region.
In turn, the governor of the region, Maxim Marchenko, said that “Russia used suicide drones that fly to the target, and do not shoot ammunition,” and that two planes were shot down over the Black Sea.
“As a result of the bombing, there is no electricity in almost all (residential) areas and settlements of our district,” he added in Telegram.
target energy infrastructure
Since October, Moscow has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with a series of missiles and drones. On Friday, Kyiv admitted that all thermal and hydroelectric power plants in the country were damaged.
Kyiv also says Russia has launched hundreds of Shahed-136 drones at targets in Ukraine, calling for tougher international sanctions against Iran in response.
Iran recognizes
Western powers also accuse Tehran of providing drones to Moscow for use in its military operation in Ukraine.
Tehran admitted last November that it had sent the drones to Russia, but said it had delivered them before the start of military operations in Ukraine.
Moscow already uses hundreds of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. However, he denies the use of so-called kamikaze drones.
