Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight on October 9, setting fires and cutting power to tens of thousands of people, as Moscow renewed its campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy system ahead of winter.

Oleh Kiper, head of the Odesa regional military administration, said most of the drones were shot down, but several hit civilian, port, and energy sites.

Fires broke out in two private homes, an administrative building, and a gas station. At the port, containers filled with vegetable oil and wooden pellets caught fire, Kiper said.

Five people were injured, and about 30,000 residents were left without power. The city of Chornomorsk was among the hardest hit, with local officials reporting damage to civilian infrastructure and homes. Nearly the entire city lost electricity.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 112 drones of various types overnight. Air defenses destroyed 87, but 22 struck targets in 12 locations across the country.

The attack on Odesa came as Russia resumed wide-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, aiming to leave millions in the dark and cold ahead of winter.

Early on Oct. 7, Russian forces targeted the city of Pryluky in the Chernihiv region with Shahed drones, damaging a critical energy facility. No casualties were reported, but more than 61,000 customers were left without electricity, according to the local power company Chernihivoblenergo.

Authorities have activated 56 “Points of Invincibility” – emergency shelters providing heat, power, water, internet, and first aid – across the Pryluky district. Hourly power outages remain in effect, with engineers rerouting electricity to keep hospitals and residential areas running.

A separate Russian strike on Wednesday, Oct. 8,  hit an energy facility in the Nizhyn district, knocking out power for more than 4,500 customers and causing emergency shutdowns in several parts of the city.

That same night, Russian troops attacked a DTEK thermal power plant, injuring two workers and damaging critical equipment.

“Russia attacked the DTEK thermal power plant. Two power workers were injured and received medical assistance,” the company said. “Since the start of the full-scale invasion, our thermal power plants have been shelled more than 200 times.”

DTEK CEO Maksym Timchenko called the renewed strikes “cynically timed” as Ukraine heads into the cold season.

“With cynical timing, Russia resumed its campaign against our power stations just as we are about to enter winter,” he said. “The attack caused serious damage, but we will not let Russia win.”