00:00Ukraine destroys 75% of Zaporizhia grid in single strike
00:05200,000 trapped in sub-zero blackout
00:07In the freezing dark of January 6
00:1017, 2026, a coordinated Ukrainian drone strike plunged much of Russia's
00:15Russian-occupied Zaporizhia into blackout, crippling the region's electricity grid
00:20in a matter of minutes
00:22As the attack began just after midnight, residents across the street
00:25across southeastern Zaporizhia reported sudden flashes on the horizon, followed moments
00:30later, by power failures rippling through towns and villages
00:35in the U.S.
00:36in the U.S.
00:37in the U.S.
00:38in the U.S.
00:39area
00:40and many homes already struggling with winter shortages
00:43Russian-appointed governor
00:45Evgeny Belitsky tried to project calm, saying in a telegram post that repair teams were
00:50working around the clock, and that restoration was underway, but he did not provide
00:55a clear timetable
00:56For years, Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine
01:00power plants, substations, and transmission lines, trying to break civilian morale
01:05by plunging cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv into rolling blackouts
01:10Unlike large ballistic or cruise missiles, these small drones can fly low, change
01:15routes mid-flight, and strike with enough precision to disable key equipment while minimizing
01:20wider blast damage
01:21The Zaporizhia strike adds to growing evidence that even
01:25sophisticated Russian systems struggle to fully protect sprawling fixed infrastructure
01:30from agile massed UAV attacks
01:33Within a day of time
01:35of the blackout
01:36Aid organizations and local volunteers warned of mounting risks for children
01:40older people
01:41and those with disabilities in the occupied areas
01:45In Russia's Belgorod region, authorities said a woman was killed, and another person was
01:50wounded, when a drone exploded in the village of Nechayevka, damaging homes near the border
01:55border
01:56The conflict has increasingly become a struggle over power lines, railways, and
02:00fuel depots as much as trenches or artillery positions
02:04Zaporizhia
02:05Zaporizhia
02:06is not just any region
02:07It is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, and sits on the border
02:10on a key land corridor that links Russian forces in Crimea with those in the Donbass
02:15Within hours, Russian state media labeled the Zaporizhia outage an act
02:20of terrorism, accusing Ukraine of deliberately attacking civilians, and using Western-made
02:25components in its drones
02:27Kyiv followed a familiar playbook after the strike
02:30No formal claim of responsibility
02:32No official briefing detailing drone routes or units
02:35Involved
02:36Every hour without power in sub-zero temperatures deepens frustration
02:40among civilians
02:41And increases the strain on local administrators scrambling to distribute
02:45generators, fuel, and aid
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