Ukrainian emergency crews are working tirelessly to restore power to northern parts of the country as Russian forces continue to target crucial civilian infrastructure through drone and rocket attacks. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s strategic Pokrovsk region remains under sustained pressure.
**Ongoing Attacks on Energy Infrastructure**
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported on Telegram late on October 2 that power has been restored in the Sumy region near the Russian border following overnight assaults. “The enemy continues to purposefully hit the energy infrastructure. We are working to protect the system from new threats,” she wrote.
Efforts are also ongoing in the Chernihiv region to bring back electricity after Russian shelling on October 1 left an estimated 300,000 people without power.
**Heavy Fighting in Pokrovsk**
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, at least 133 combat clashes occurred along the front lines on October 2, with much of the fighting concentrated in the embattled Pokrovsk region. Once home to more than 60,000 residents, the city’s population has dwindled to around 7,000 due to the war. Pokrovsk holds critical road and rail junctions, making it a key strategic point under threat of encirclement by Russian forces for most of the year.
“In the Pokrovsk direction, the invading units tried 36 times to break through our defenses,” the General Staff said. In total, Russian forces launched 47 air strikes, dropped 115 guided aerial bombs, and deployed hundreds of kamikaze drones.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russian troops had entered Pokrovsk, but Ukrainian officials denied this, stating that Russian forces continue to suffer heavy losses in the area. Ukrainian military spokesman Maksym Bakulin confirmed that Russian troops have been conducting near-continuous raids to capture the city but have been hindered by weather conditions and fierce Ukrainian resistance.
**Putin’s Warning Against US Missile Support**
Speaking at a discussion club in Sochi amid drone alerts in the Black Sea resort city, Putin warned the United States against sending long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. “Using Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel is impossible. This would mark a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States,” he said.
Following Putin’s speech, a drone alarm sounded in Sochi, though it was unclear whether Putin was present during the alert and if any drones struck the region.
**Ukraine’s Request and Zelenskiy’s Comments**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked Washington to sell Tomahawk missiles to European nations, which would then supply them to Kyiv.
In an interview with Axios released on September 25, Zelenskiy cited former US President Donald Trump’s support for Ukraine responding to Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure with reciprocal strikes. “If they attack our energy, President Trump supports that we can answer on energy,” Zelenskiy said. He added that Trump also approved retaliatory strikes on Russian military factories, though such targets might be more difficult to reach due to strong defenses.
On October 2, Zelenskiy urged European leaders to strengthen their drone defense capabilities, warning that Russia has the capability to violate airspace anywhere across the continent. Speaking at a security and defense summit in Copenhagen, he said: “If the Russians dare to launch drones against Poland, or violate the airspace of northern European countries, it means this can happen anywhere. In Western Europe, in the south, we need fast and effective response and defense forces that know how to deal with drones.”
This warning followed recent drone incidents that forced the closure of Copenhagen’s airport on September 22, as well as multiple Russian drone incursions into other European nations’ airspace.
**Latest Prisoner Exchange**
Also on October 2, Russia and Ukraine conducted another prisoner exchange, adding to a series of such swaps since the conflict began.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Telegram that 185 Russian servicemen and 20 civilians had been released. President Zelenskiy confirmed the exchange on social media, posting images of the freed Ukrainians wrapped in Ukrainian flags.
“We are bringing home 185 of our defenders from Russian captivity. One hundred eighty-three are enlisted personnel and sergeants, and two are officers,” Zelenskiy said on X. He added that 20 civilians were also returning home.
*With reporting by Reuters.*
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-tomahawk-putin-power-outages-war/33547434.html
