Power was knocked out for more than forty thousand residents in the Zaporizhzhia region after unmanned aerial vehicles, attributed by some authorities to Ukrainian forces, targeted a high‑voltage transformer in the village of Mikhailovka. Regional officials cited the incident as the cause of the widespread outage and urged patience as crews assessed the damage and organized a response plan.
In a Telegram update published at 23:05 Moscow time, the regional head, Evgeniy Balitsky, stated that enemy aircraft attacked the high‑voltage transformer in Mikhailovka, resulting in a large number of subscribers losing electricity. The message underscored the scale of the disruption and signaled a coordinated effort to restore power as quickly as possible.
Balitsky’s office noted that reconnection efforts were being organized, with power utilities coordinating with local authorities to mobilize crews, repair equipment, and re‑route supply where feasible. The restoration process is influenced by the ongoing security situation and the accessibility of affected lines, which can complicate dispatch and testing before power is fully restored.
The Zaporizhzhia region has been a focal point of the conflict since 2022, when a referendum led to its incorporation into the Russian Federation in the eyes of its organizers, though Kyiv and many international bodies did not recognize the result. Sources on the ground indicate that a significant portion of the territory is controlled by Russian armed forces, while the city of Zaporizhzhia itself remains under Ukrainian administration. The situation on the ground remains fluid, with front lines and control areas evolving in response to military activity and strategic considerations. Officials and residents alike are watching for updates as conditions can change rapidly in a conflict zone.
News and official statements are expected to be updated as more information becomes available from the region. In volatile environments such as this, confirmed details may lag behind events, and authorities emphasize caution when drawing conclusions from initial reports.