Russian attack damages energy facility, cuts power in Ukraine’s Sumy region

(Reuters) -A Russian overnight air attack damaged an energy facility in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, cutting power to 50,400 consumers, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine’s air force said on Telegram that its air defence systems destroyed seven out of the eight Russia-launched drones.

Russia also sent a Kh-69 guided air missile, the air force said, but added that as a result of its forces’ countermeasures, the missile “did not reach its target”.

The energy ministry that reported power cuts did not specify the weapon that damaged the facility. According to its statement on Telegram, power has so far been restored to about 24,500 consumers.

There were no casualties in the attack, the region’s military administration said on Telegram.

Russia renewed its long-range strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this spring, targeting thermal and hydropower stations as well as gas storage facilities.

Ukraine says such strikes have destroyed 9 Gigawatt of power generating capacity across the country, which has led to blackouts in many regions and affected GDP growth.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne, Yuliia Dysa in Gdansk; Editing by Jamie Freed and Christina Fincher)