Kherson has been completely cut off from electricity, as reported by Roman Mrochko, head of the city’s military administration, on Oct. 16.
"Preliminary information suggests the entire city has lost power," Mrochko wrote on Telegram, noting that authorities are working to uncover the cause.
Around the same time, parts of Mykolaiv Oblast also reported power outages.
Vitalii Kim, governor of Mykolaiv, confirmed that many residents have lost electricity but stated, “There was no strike. The source has been identified, and we expect to fix it within a couple of hours, barring any surprises.”
While the outages have not yet been explicitly linked to Russian strikes, Ukraine has experienced frequent power disruptions throughout the war, particularly due to targeted attacks on its energy grid.
Escalating Attacks
On the night of Oct. 16, Russia launched a large-scale assault on Ukraine, firing over 130 Shahed-type drones, missiles, and other weaponry.
According to Kyiv Independent, both Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts were hit in the overnight attacks, although officials have not confirmed any direct connections between the strikes and the recent outages.
The Ukrainian government has recently warned of likely renewed attacks on the country’s power grid, similar to the strategy employed by Russia during the autumn and winter of 2022-2023.
These targeted energy assaults had left large parts of Ukraine without electricity during the coldest months, and Kyiv anticipates similar tactics this year as temperatures begin to drop.
