Konotop Residents Face Fourth Night Without Power as Repairs Stall

The city of Konotop in Sumy Oblast has been dark for four consecutive days. Mayor Artem Semenikhin confirmed on the night of October 26 that the blackout persists. He stated that no official estimate exists for when electricity will return.

The outage began after Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on the Konotop hromada following 3:00 a.m. on October 24. The strikes damaged energy facilities, a school, and residential homes. Most areas of the city also lost their gas supply during the attacks.

Semenikhin described the current conditions to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne and on his Telegram channel. He noted that local schools sustained damage. The city hospital now relies on generators to maintain operations. Water is available only during scheduled windows from 6:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00.

"Unfortunately, there are no forecasts for when power will be restored. No forecasts at all," Semenikhin wrote. The lack of a timeline creates uncertainty for residents managing daily needs without consistent utility access.

Sumyoblenergo, the regional power distribution company, says emergency crews are working around the clock. The utility reported that repair teams are addressing damage to energy facilities. The pace of these repairs depends on the security situation and whether crews can safely reach the damaged sites.

A separate strike occurred on the afternoon of October 24. A Russian drone hit a civilian agricultural business in the Konotop district. The impact killed a 31-year-old farm worker and injured four other people.