Russian Guided Bomb Attack on Kharkiv Cuts Power to 30,000 Ukrainians as Winter Approaches

On Monday, Russian forces launched guided bomb attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, resulting in power outages affecting 30,000 residents across three districts.

According to Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov's Telegram message, the guided bombs targeted Nemyshlianskyi and Slobidskyi districts in the southeast and Shevchenkivskyi district in the northern part of the city.

In a local television interview, Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed that the three bombs damaged a hospital and struck power transmission lines, affecting nearly 30,000 customers. Four people sustained injuries, primarily from shattered glass, necessitating the relocation of some patients to different hospital wards.

"The hospital suffered significant damage with patients inside. Four people sustained varying degrees of injuries, and approximately 200 windows were shattered," Terekhov stated.

"These attacks generally target energy infrastructure - generation transmission and power networks. Their objective is to disable the power transmission system."

In recent weeks, Russian forces have intensified their focus on Ukraine's electricity grid and gas infrastructure as winter approaches in this conflict now extending beyond three and a half years.

A large-scale attack on Kyiv and other urban centers last week temporarily left more than one million households and businesses without power nationwide. Water services were also disrupted.

In Kostiantynivka, a city in eastern Donetsk region that has been a primary target of Russia's gradual advance through the area, a Russian drone attack on Monday killed two people in their vehicle, according to the city's military administration head.

Russia's Defence Ministry announced on Monday that its forces had captured two additional villages in their eastern Ukraine offensive - one in Donetsk region and another near Kupiansk in the northeast, a largely devastated city that has been under attack for months.

However, Ukraine's National Guard first corps reported repelling a fresh Russian advance attempt near the town of Dobropillia in Donetsk region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials have highlighted military successes around Dobropillia, near the strategic logistics hub of Pokrovsk.