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Russian drones hit energy infrastructure in Ternopil and Odesa oblasts overnight

Russian drone attacks damaged energy facilities and private homes in Ternopil and Odesa oblasts during the night of October 20. Three energy facilities in Ternopil's Kremenets district and private households in the Chortkiv district were damaged, while Odesa saw power disruptions with critical infrastructure running on backup power. No casualties were reported in either oblast as of 08:00 on October 20.

Key points

  • Russian drones damaged three energy facilities in the Kremenets district of Ternopil Oblast overnight on October 20.
  • Private households in the Chortkiv district of Ternopil Oblast were also damaged.
  • Energy infrastructure in Odesa Oblast was hit during the same overnight attack.
  • Power supply disruptions occurred in several districts of Odesa Oblast; critical infrastructure relied on backup power sources.
  • As of 08:00 on October 20, no casualties had been reported from the Ternopil or Odesa attacks.
  • Ternopil Oblast head Taras Pastukh said Russia is deliberately trying to disable energy infrastructure and leave residents without electricity and heat.
  • Emergency services were working at the affected Ternopil facilities to deal with the aftermath.

Why it matters

The strikes disrupted electricity in affected areas and forced critical infrastructure in Odesa onto backup power, underscoring the continuing operational pressure on Ukraine's energy grid. Local officials framed the attacks as a deliberate effort to deprive residents of electricity and heat ahead of the heating season.

What happened

Russian drones struck multiple targets in Ternopil and Odesa oblasts during the night of October 20. In Ternopil Oblast, three energy facilities in the Kremenets district were damaged and private households in the Chortkiv district sustained damage, with Ternopil Oblast head Taras Pastukh reporting the details and emergency services responding at the sites. In Odesa Oblast, energy facilities were also hit, causing power supply disruptions in several districts; critical infrastructure switched to backup power sources while specialists worked on restoration. Odesa Oblast head Oleh Kiper said there were no casualties from the attack. As of 08:00 on October 20, no information about casualties from the Ternopil attack had been reported. Ternopil had already been hit earlier in October: an October 18 drone strike near Staryi Vyshnivets damaged an energy facility and left some consumers without electricity.

Background

Russian strikes had previously targeted energy infrastructure in Ternopil Oblast before October 20, including an October 18 strike near Staryi Vyshnivets that damaged an energy facility and cut power to some consumers. The broader attack wave around October 20 also included strikes on energy infrastructure in Lviv Oblast, an enterprise in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, a residential building in Sumy, and a production-warehouse building in Kyiv Oblast where three people were reported killed.