TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) – The Russia-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region was experiencing emergency power blackouts on Friday, Russia-installed governor Yevgeny Balitsky was quoted as saying by the Kommersant newspaper.
However, critical infrastructure was working as usual, he said, without providing further details, according to Kommersant.
Separately, the Russia-appointed head of the parts of southern Kherson region held by Russian forces, Vladimir Saldo, said on Telegram that nine areas were cut off the power grid after drone attacks.
In the early hours of the morning on Friday, Russian defence systems were working to repel drone attacks over Moscow, the nearby Yaroslavl region and the Leningrad region in the northwest, local authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.
Four drones headed for Moscow were downed and emergency services were deployed to the area, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram, without providing details. There were no casualties in the regions of Yaroslavl and Leningrad, local governors said.
All the three regions, home to large Russian energy infrastructure, also came under drone attack earlier this week. Overall, Russia downed 217 drones overnight, Interfax newsagency said, citing the defence ministry.
In Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, eleven people were injured in Russian shelling and drone attacks, including a 13-year-old boy, Ukrainian police said on Telegram.
Reuters could not independently verify reports of military activity.
(Reporting by Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo; Editing by Kim Coghill and Kate Mayberry)
