In Ukraine, a series of attacks by the Russian military targeting energy facilities have caused a temporary power outage in the southern city of Odesa and surrounding areas on the 31st, threatening a serious power shortage.
On the 31st, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that it had shot down 18 targets after being attacked by 16 Russian missiles and 11 drones.
Officials in the western region of Lviv said a Russian cruise missile damaged infrastructure facilities, killing one person, while the state-owned power company said damage to a high-voltage substation in the south caused damage to the city of Odesa and its surrounding areas. There was a temporary power outage in the surrounding area.
The Russian military has recently repeatedly targeted energy facilities such as power plants in Ukraine, and on the 28th, Ukraine's largest private energy company attacked two of its largest coal-fired power plants. It was revealed that the damage was severe and half of the power generation capacity was lost, and it may take more than a year to restore.
With Ukraine facing the possibility of a serious power shortage, President Zelenskiy accused Russia in a video released on the 30th, saying, ``Russian terrorists are carrying out heinous attacks to drain Ukraine of its energy.'' Japan once again requested assistance from Western countries to strengthen its air defense capabilities.