UKRAINE, Aug. 14 — Russian drone and artillery strikes left without power part of Kharkiv oblast, reports Ukraine’s Energy Ministry. Partial blackouts have also been reported in Sumy and Donetsk oblasts. 

“Everywhere where the security situation allows it, repairs are ongoing. Energy workers do everything to return the power as quickly as possible,” the Ministry wrote. 

Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Kharkiv oblast, said that the region went through last winter because the energy objects were “protected from Russian strikes” at the briefing in Nakypilo’s media outlet press center on Aug. 4. 

Though Kharkiv blackouts caused by Russian attacks in winter 2025 were less severe than in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, some airstrikes on energy infrastructure have left up to 90% of households both in the city and the region without power. 

Syniehubov said that the authorities defined 544 objects that “require additional protection” and claimed “they already see results” of their efforts: “One of the substations was attacked by Russians 27 times, but it keeps working.

Last autumn, Russia attacked Kharkiv oblast’s critical infrastructure at least once every three days. 

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