Strong winds and heavy rain destroyed electrical infrastructure in Ukraine on Tuesday, leaving thousands of people without power, according to authorities.
The nocturnal storms put more strain on Ukraine’s frail energy sector, which has already been battered by nearly constant Russian bombing for the previous three and a half weeks.
“Due to bad weather, 173 settlements in four regions are without power supply,” Ukraine’s energy ministry stated.
Over 15,000 people were cut off in 96 towns and villages in Dnipropetrovsk’s central region, the worst impacted area, according to the report.
DTEK, one of the primary energy providers, stated that its engineers worked “all night and in the morning” to restore electricity to the region.
“We are making every effort to restore power to all homes by the end of the day,” the statement stated.
The storms come only weeks after national grid operator Ukrenergo warned Ukraine that it needs to totally revamp its electrical system in the wake of a series of devastating Russian strikes.
On March 22, Moscow started a huge missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s power grid, and strikes have continued ever since, leaving over a million people without power.