Russian attack hits power facilities in Sumy, kills one in Kirovohrad Oblast

Russian forces launched an air attack on energy infrastructure in the city of Sumy using Shahed drones overnight on 18 September, according to local authorities.

According to the Sumy military administration, no people were injured.

Officials emphasized that the oblast’s power system is operating under strain due to Russian attacks. Authorities have asked consumers to reduce electricity consumption, especially during peak hours.

The administration stated that air defense forces in the Sumy Oblast destroyed 16 Russian Shahed drones overnight. “At night and in the morning, the Russians carried out 37 shellings of border areas and settlements in Sumy Oblast. 57 explosions were recorded,” they added.

Multiple communities in the oblast came under fire, but no casualties were reported.

This attack follows a previous strike on 16 September, when Russian forces used Shahed drones to hit Konotop and Sumy.

According to Ukrainian military officials, Russia attacked with 52 Shahed drones and three Kh-59/69 guided air-launched missiles overnight. Ukraine’s air defense downed 46 Shaheds, five more UAVs were locationally lost, and another Russian drone flew to Russia.

In Kropyvnytskyi, the attack resulted in one fatality and injured a 90-year-old woman. Residential buildings were also damaged in the city, Governor Andriy Raikovych said.

The Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration reported that four Shahed drones were destroyed in the oblast overnight. On the night of 18 September, around 03:45 am, Russia attacked the Bashtanka district of Mykolaiv Oblast with a cruise missile, presumably a Kh-59. The attack caused a fire in dry grass on agricultural enterprise territory, which firefighters promptly extinguished, according to Governor Vitaliy Kim.

The Russian leadership denies that its army deliberately targets civilian infrastructure in Ukrainian cities and villages during the full-scale war, killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy and water supply facilities.

Ukrainian authorities and international organizations classify these strikes as war crimes committed by the Russian Federation and emphasize their deliberate nature.

Read also:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!