In a statement on Telegram, the Russian government of Kherson said electricity and water supplies were “temporarily absent” after the “terrorist attack” that knocked out three power lines in the area. It said the attack was organized by Ukraine, although it did not provide details. Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield accounts from either side. Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted Moscow-appointed governor of Kherson Vladimir Saldo as saying that power to the city was planned to be restored by the end of the day. TASS separately cited emergency services in the region as saying 10 settlements, including the city of Kherson, which had a population of 280,000 before the war, had been left without electricity. Russian officials have repeatedly warned civilians in recent weeks to leave Kherson, amid preparations for a Ukrainian offensive against the city, the only regional capital Russia has captured since it ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24. Reporting by Reuters Editing by David Goodman/Guy Faulconbridge/David Evans Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
