Russian strikes cut power to thousands in Ukraine as Kherson ceasefire to end within hours

A humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine's Kherson region, which allowed civilians to evacuate the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, is set to expire on Sunday night. Despite the localized ceasefire holding, fighting continues elsewhere. On Saturday night, Russian strikes targeted energy infrastructure in four regions, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. Among the casualties, a 13-year-old girl died in Vinnytsia.

Ukraine retaliated by hitting a major missile fuel producer in Russia's Rostov region, resulting in a fire and damage to four facilities. Repair works to restore power have been ongoing in Ukraine, though many customers in the Dnipropetrovsk region remain without power, with more than 60,000 still affected.

Due to frequent attacks on energy infrastructure, emergency power cuts have been implemented nationwide, even in the capital Kyiv. Water supplies are also disrupted. President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern over the intensity of Russian strikes over the past week, stating that Russia is exploiting the shortage of ballistic missile interceptors. He repeatedly requested Patriot missiles from the US, Europe, and other partners.

A localized ceasefire in Kherson, brokered with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, is set to end at 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday. The limited truce, initially confined to Oleshky, has allowed residents to evacuate if they choose. Evacuees had to traverse Russian-occupied territory before reaching Belarus and eventually crossing into Ukraine's northern border. The oldest evacuee was 94, while the youngest was one year old, as reported by Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.