Kherson region facing blackout after attack on power lines: Russia

Kherson and nine other settlements in Ukraine lost power due to an attack on the power line, a representative of the region’s emergency services told reporters on Sunday.
“As a result of the ‘terrorist attack’ on the Berislav-Kakhovka line, three reinforced concrete pylons of high-voltage power lines were damaged. More than 10 settlements of the region were left without electricity,” the Russian representative was quoted as saying by Sputnik news agency. The regional center, the city of Kherson, has been affected by the power cuts, he added.
In September, Russia held a referendum in Kherson which was severely criticized by Ukraine and a host of other countries. Along with the neighboring regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, it was annexed by Russia on October 5.
After coming under Russian control, Kherson and other newly acquired regions have witnessed heavy fighting, leading to damage to the key infrastructure of the regions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin this week called for the evacuation of civilians from parts of the southern Kherson region, amid conflicting reports of a curfew being imposed in the Russian-controlled area.
“Now, of course, those who live in Kherson should be removed from the zone of the most dangerous actions, because the civilian population should not suffer,” Putin was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera on Friday, as he marked Russia’s Day of Unity.