Power goes out in Kherson, Zelensky says 4 million Ukrainians without electricity

Nov. 7 (UPI) -- The city of Kherson, the only regional Ukrainian capital under Russian control since its invasion of the country, lost total electrical power Monday along with some surrounding settlements as fears grow of a fierce fight ahead for the region.

The Moscow-controlled administration in occupied Kherson blamed "terrorists" for damaging three power lines on the Berislav-Kakhovka Highway in a Russia-captured part of the region for the blackout.

Kherson Regional Council Deputy Head Yuriy Sobolevskyi said about 10 settlements in the region were affected as well. Regional Head Yaroslav Yanushevych blamed Russia for the outage, calling the power line damage "quite extensive."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 4.5 million Ukrainians are dealing with power outages caused by Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure.

The National Resistance Center, a creation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on Monday that Russian troops are now largely wearing civilian clothing and living in civilian housing in Kherson as they "strengthen positions inside for conducting street battles."

"Amid the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the occupiers have significantly intensified filtration measures," the National Resistance Center, a creation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said.

"Raids among the local population have intensified in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region. The occupiers are actively looking for the underground movement."

Russia continued its efforts to try to capture the eastern city of Bakhmut after months of fighting. Moscow captured the village of Ivangrad, near a road on Bakhmut's southern approach.

Ukrainian eastern forces spokesman Serhii Cherevaty said the "enemy is the most aggressive, with the concentration of its maximum forces" around Bakhmut. He said Russia had dedicated about 30,000 troops to the fighting there despite losses in other places.