Power supply is interrupted
Russians accuse Ukraine of HIMARS shelling of Melitopol
03/29/2023, 3:45 p.m
The power supply in the city of Melitopol, which is currently occupied by Russia, has collapsed. The occupiers claim that Ukraine with the US systems HIMARS is responsible for this. The attacks could be a harbinger of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The Russian administration in the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol has accused Ukraine of firing rockets at the city, causing power outages. “Due to the shelling by Kiev militants, the power supply infrastructure has been damaged,” a Russian-appointed regional representative told Telegram. “The power supply in Melitopol and several surrounding villages is interrupted.”
According to Russian sources, the shelling took place at dawn with US-made HIMARS rocket launcher systems. A locomotive depot was hit, but there were no injuries. On the Ukrainian side, Melitopol’s mayor in exile also spoke of explosions.
Before the war, around 150,000 people lived in the city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhia region, which is partly occupied by Russia. The region is also home to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control. Russia had accused Ukraine of shelling Melitopol back on March 27.
There has been speculation for weeks about a possible Ukrainian counter-offensive in the direction of Melitopol. A push in the region would cut off the Russian-held land corridor connecting mainland Russia with the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014. According to the Ukrainian armed forces, GLSDB missiles with a range of up to 150 kilometers, which the United States has promised to deliver, are still missing for a successful counteroffensive.