2 people killed in Ukraine’s Odesa region as Russia continues to blast power grid

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least two people were killed in a drone attack in Ukraine’s southwestern Odesa region, Ukrainian authorities said Sunday. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued to pummel each other's infrastructure.

Russian drones attacked a car park in the Odesa region on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast in the early hours of Sunday, killing two people, according to the State Emergency Service. Odesa regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said that three others were wounded.

Tens of thousands of residents were left without power after Russia attacked the front-line Zaporizhzhia region overnight into Sunday with drones and missiles.

Regional Gov. Ivan Fedorov said nearly 60,000 people faced power outages and that two people were wounded in the attacks. He posted photos on Telegram of buildings reduced to rubble.

As a result of attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, several regions faced rolling power cuts on Sunday, Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, said.

The strikes were the latest in Russia’s sustained campaign on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as bitter winter temperatures approach.

Ukrainian cities use centralized public infrastructure to run water, sewage and heating systems, and blackouts stop them from working.

Attacks aim to erode Ukrainian morale as well as disrupt weapons manufacturing and other war-related activity almost four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Analysts and officials say that this year Moscow has shifted tactics, targeting specific regions and gas infrastructure.

The attacks have grown more effective as Russia launches hundreds of drones, some equipped with cameras that improve targeting, overwhelming air defenses — especially in regions where protection is weaker.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike set an oil tanker and infrastructure ablaze at Russia’s Tuapse port, regional officials said Sunday.

Images circulating on social media channels appeared to show flames engulfing terminal structures and a tanker at the Black Sea port, with multiple blazes visible across the port area. The Associated Press was unable to independently confirm the footage.

A Ukrainian intelligence official told the Associated Press that Ukrainian forces struck a tanker, loading infrastructure and port buildings.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said five drone strikes were recorded and the operation was carried out by special forces of Ukraine’s Security Service and other defense forces.

Local Russian authorities said “two foreign civilian ships” were damaged.

Tuapse is home to a major oil export terminal and a refinery belonging to state-owned Russian oil company Rosneft.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s long-range strikes on refineries inside Russia have reduced Moscow’s oil refining capacity by 20%, citing intelligence from Western governments. Oil exports play a key role in funding Russia’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine. While Ukrainian weapons take aim at the refineries, new sanctions from the U.S. and the European Union are aiming to cut into Moscow’s oil and gas export earnings.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine