Energy workers and border oblasts under fire in February 2026
A look back at strikes on Donetsk and Sumy oblasts and power outages in Russian regions in the days before 20 February 2026.
What did the war look like for the regions in the days leading up to 20 February 2026? The reports from 15 to 17 February point to energy infrastructure and border areas on both sides of the front line.
On 17 February, a Russian drone attack on a vehicle in Mykolaivka, Donetsk Oblast, killed three engineers from the Sloviansk Thermal Power Plant. Another engineer was injured. The attack fell within the wider pattern of Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure in eastern Ukraine.
The same day, large-scale Russian strikes hit Sumy Oblast. At least six people were injured, and buildings and vehicles were damaged.
Outages across the border
Two days earlier, on 15 February, authorities in several Russian oblasts, including Belgorod and Bryansk, reported widespread power outages. They followed a large-scale Ukrainian missile and drone attack on Russian power stations. Bryansk Oblast governor Alexander Bogomaz confirmed that the regional capital, Bryansk, had lost most of its electricity and heat supply.
Taken together, the reports show power generation and the people who keep it running affected in regions on both sides of the border in the days before 20 February 2026.
