Odesa: Russian shelling near the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa killed one civilian and damaged key energy infrastructure, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
Local authorities said a woman was killed when her vehicle was struck near a bridge outside the city. Her three children were injured and taken to hospital. The attack was part of a wider overnight assault involving drones and artillery fire targeting areas around Odesa.
The strikes hit power facilities, causing widespread electricity outages across the region. Officials said repair crews were working to restore supply, but warned that some areas could remain without power for extended periods due to the scale of the damage.
Ukraine’s energy authorities later said the overnight Russian attacks affected several regions, leaving around 180000 consumers without electricity nationwide. Odesa was among the worst hit, adding pressure to an already strained power system as winter temperatures persist.
Transport links were also disrupted. Traffic was temporarily restricted on key roads, including routes connecting Odesa to Danube river ports and border crossings with neighboring Moldova. Authorities urged residents not to block roads in protest, saying emergency services and utility workers needed clear access.
Odesa, a major Black Sea port, has faced repeated attacks in recent weeks as Russia intensifies strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure. Earlier this month, large scale aerial attacks caused massive blackouts across southern Ukraine, affecting hundreds of thousands of homes.
The latest shelling comes as fighting continues across Ukraine despite renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at easing the conflict. Ukrainian officials say attacks on civilian infrastructure show no sign of slowing, leaving civilians to bear the growing human and economic cost of the war.
Ukraine has accused Russia of deliberately targeting energy and transport facilities to disrupt daily life during winter. Moscow has not commented on the specific incident near Odesa.