Russia strikes energy facilities in Ukraine's Sumy region, authorities say

KYIV (Reuters) -Russia fired missiles at energy infrastructure in the northeast Ukrainian city of Sumy on Tuesday hours after an overnight drone strike on the region, reducing power in some areas and forcing authorities to use back-up power systems.

The Sumy region's governor, Volodymyr Artiukh, citing an initial assessment, said Russia had used at least four missiles in the latest attack on energy facilities. Ukraine's energy ministry said Russia's attacks had caused a fire at a power substation and cut power to more than 281,000 consumers. Power was later partially restored, it said.

Acting Sumy mayor Artem Kobzar said there were no casualties in the city, but regional officials said the overnight drone attack had damaged the region's Konotop, Okhtyrka and Sumy districts.

Critical infrastructure facilities had to use back-up power systems, regional authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.

The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 51 drones in Tuesday's attack, of which 34 were shot down.

Russia also dropped three guided bombs on the town of Hlukhiv, Ukraine's northern military command said on Telegram. Two people were wounded and 20 private houses, public transport and a grain silo suffered damage.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has been attacking energy infrastructure in what Kyiv says is a concerted effort to degrade the energy system before winter, when people need electricity and heating most.

Russian forces have been steadily advancing in Ukraine's east, while Ukrainian forces remain in the Russian region of Kursk following a cross-border incursion last month.

Moscow said its air defence systems had overnight destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones over Russia's Kursk and Bryansk regions.

(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko, additional reporting Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Michael Perry, Sharon Singleton and Timothy Heritage)