Drone strike plunges occupied Donbas into blackout Drone attack knocks out power for occupied Donetsk and Luhansk© RBC-Ukraine (UK) A drone attack has knocked out power across temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, after a fire broke out at a thermal power plant supplying most of the region’s electricity. The Luhansk Thermal Power Plant in Shchastia was reportedly hit in the attack, with OSINT channels reporting a fire at the facility. The disruption threatens to deepen pressure on infrastructure already badly damaged and neglected under Russian occupation. A power station carrying the region’s electricity supply The Luhansk Thermal Power Plant, formerly known as the Voroshylovhrad State Regional Power Plant, is located in Shchastia near Luhansk. The facility has six operational units and two mothballed units, all of which have exceeded their original design service life. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, it was owned by DTEK’s Skhidenergo and supplied roughly 80% of the electricity consumed across the occupied area. A major asset swallowed by the occupation After Russian forces seized the region, the Russian-installed administration announced the station would be nationalised and pledged more than 2.1 billion roubles towards reconstruction. But by 2024, the plant had ceased operating as a separate entity and was transferred to a newly created joint-stock company. The identities of the investors were not publicly disclosed, leaving the ownership of the major energy asset shrouded in secrecy. Donbas infrastructure increasingly under fire The latest strike follows previous attacks on strategically important Russian facilities in occupied Donbas. In May, Ukrainian forces used Storm Shadow missiles against a Russian command post and communications hub in Luhansk, targeting the occupiers’ ability to coordinate operations. The blackout adds another blow to infrastructure in territory controlled by Russia. Across occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and elsewhere, years of war and neglect have left key facilities increasingly vulnerable, while major landmarks have also fallen into disrepair. The attack demonstrates the growing vulnerability of the occupation’s energy infrastructure — and the potentially immediate impact when a single critical facility is knocked offline. Drone attack knocks out power for occupied Donetsk and Luhansk
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