Massive Russia strike leaves million without power; IAEA issues warning
The Republic of Moldova once again felt the spillover effects of the war in Ukraine. Explosions in the Odessa region last night shook Moldovan villages right on the border, startling residents across the country's southeast.
In the village of Tudora, people reported living through hours of terror as the thunderous blasts continued intermittently until morning.
"Somewhere around 2 AM the first thuds were heard, then at 3–4 intermittently, and the last were around 7 in the morning," eyewitnesses told the national broadcaster, Moldova 1. Located on the Dniester River directly bordering Ukraine, Tudora's locals say they frequently hear the intense sounds of Russian attacks.
Violeta Onici recounted waking up startled in the middle of the night. "Yes, it was first heard around 1:30 AM, then for another 20 minutes a bang so powerful was heard that the windows were shaking violently, and I was thinking whether to go outside or stay inside—I was truly terrified," she said.
Other villagers stated that the noises were accompanied by a palpable tremor. "I thought something had fallen, but the windows were shaking and the dogs started barking," one resident recalled.
They noted it was not an isolated incident. "Three weeks ago it was much more terrifying; I don't know if any of the residents slept until morning then," say the locals.
Witnesses also stated that, alongside the explosions, they observed military drones flying over the area. "Everything is seen—the drones flying, with the Ukrainian military shooting at them, how they exploded," they declared.
Authorities in Moldova's capital, Chișinău, recalled that since the start of the war, there have been several confirmed cases where Russian-used drones illegally flew over the Republic of Moldova's airspace, with some eventually crashing on its territory. These recurring incidents pose a direct threat to the nation's sovereignty.
Following these incursions, the ambassador of the Russian Federation was repeatedly summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where formal notes of protest were presented for violating national sovereignty. Moscow has consistently denied that the drones were Russian.
Meanwhile, Ukraine was hit by a massive wave of strikes. Over a million people were left without electricity after last night's Russian attacks. Moscow's troops launched drones and Kinjal missiles at civil infrastructure in five regions.
Odessa was the target of the largest air attack since the beginning of the war: more than ten power substations and a thermal power plant were severely damaged. The city was left without electricity, water, and heating.
In the middle of winter, store water supplies quickly ran out, and queues formed at water pumps. Regional trains registered severe delays or were canceled. At least four people were injured in the bombings.
Other regions were also affected: Kherson was left without electricity, in Mykolaiv a house was destroyed, and witnesses said they barely escaped alive. "I was at the hospital with my husband; he got glass shards in his eyes," a woman from Mykolaiv reported.
For the 12th time since the beginning of the war, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant temporarily lost external power supply, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced. Although the lines were subsequently reconnected, the plant – located in Russian-controlled territory – permanently needs energy for reactor cooling.
Ukraine retaliated with attacks on Russian territory. A drone struck the Saratov refinery, igniting a fire, and another drone hit a residential building, killing two people and injuring five others, according to local Russian authorities. Explosions were also reported in the Voronezh region, at a factory that produces explosives. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that, overnight, the army destroyed 41 Ukrainian drones over several regions.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
