In the early hours of March 7, Russia executed its fifth large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this year, resulting in widespread power outages across seven regions. The affected areas include Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, and Kharkiv.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and the National Energy Company of Ukraine (Ukrenergo) reported the attacks via Telegram, stating that emergency restoration efforts are underway wherever safety conditions allow. “Energy workers are doing everything possible to restore power to all consumers as quickly as possible,” Ukrenergo officials noted.
In addition to power outages, the strikes have disrupted heating services in Kyiv, leaving 1,905 buildings without heat in the Pechersk, Dnipro, Holosiivskyi, and Solomianskyi districts.
Due to ongoing attacks, many regions are implementing hourly power cuts for all consumer categories. Residents have been advised to check local energy provider websites for information on scheduled outages.
“Given the weather conditions in most regions, it is advisable to use high-power electrical appliances during the daytime, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, when solar power plants operate most efficiently,” the statement added.
Ukrenergo also urged residents in areas experiencing power cuts to postpone the use of high-power devices until after 10:00 PM, when the load on the energy system is at its lowest.
In Kharkiv, a Russian missile struck a residential building, resulting in at least seven fatalities, including two children, as of 8:30 AM.
In Vinnytsia, the combined bombardment caused damage to both energy and railway infrastructure.
Additionally, three districts in Dnipropetrovsk—Nikopol, Samariivskyi, and Synelnykove—were targeted, leading to one death and one injury, along with several fires.
In Donetsk, Kramatorsk was hit by at least three attacks on the evening and night of March 7, with reports of one death and six injuries.
Odessa also experienced strikes, with infrastructure targets being hit, though no injuries or damage to residential buildings have been reported.
In the Sumy region, shelling was reported in the Sumy, Shostka, Okhtyrka, and Konotop districts, resulting in four injuries and damage to civilian structures and vehicles.
In Cherkasy, a residential building was destroyed in the night of March 6-7, and two others were damaged, with three individuals seeking medical assistance.
Explosions were heard on the outskirts of Novodnistrovsk in Bukovyna during an air raid alert, leading to a fire outside the city and a temporary loss of electricity, which has since been restored.
In Chernihiv, Russian forces targeted energy facilities in two districts.
Russia's recent missile strikes on Ukraine have resulted in significant casualties and extensive damage to energy infrastructure, leading to widespread power outages and heating disruptions across multiple regions. Emergency services are actively working to restore power and heating amid ongoing threats.