Konotop Mayor: City Dark for Fourth Day With No Power Return Date

Konotop residents are spending a fourth night in the dark after Russian drone strikes damaged the city's power grid on the night of October 23 and 24. Mayor Artem Semenikhin told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne that there is no forecast for when electricity will return.

The outage has cut off power to most of the city. Semenikhin noted that most areas have also lost their gas supply. Local hospitals are now relying on generators to stay operational. The municipal water system operates on a restricted schedule, supplying water from 06:00 to 09:00 and again from 18:00 to 21:00.

"The city has no electricity and most of it has no gas. Educational institutions have been damaged and even our hospital is now running on generators," Semenikhin said. He added, "Unfortunately, there are no forecasts for when power will be restored. No forecasts at all."

Sumyoblenergo, the regional power distribution company, said emergency crews are working around the clock. The timeline for repairs depends on the security situation and crew access to damaged sites. The initial attack occurred after 03:00 on October 24 when Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on the Konotop hromada. The strikes hit energy facilities, a school, and houses. A second drone struck a civilian agricultural business on the afternoon of October 24, killing one 31-year-old farm worker and injuring four others.