11:21 07-04-2026

Ukraine Uses Graphite Munitions in DNR Power Strike

Zеlеnskiу / Оfficiаl / Telegram

Ukraine deployed graphite munitions in a strike on DNR power facilities, causing mass outages. Air defenses intercepted most drones, but damage still occurred.

Ukrainian forces used graphite munitions in a strike on the energy infrastructure of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) on April 5, according to the republic’s defense headquarters.

Officials said these weapons disperse fine graphite filaments when they detonate in the air, triggering short circuits along power transmission lines and disrupting electricity supply.

Air defenses reportedly intercepted much of the attack. The «Donbass Dome» air defense system jammed and diverted ten attack drones, while another six fixed-wing UAVs were shot down by joint mobile fire teams from the FSB, the Ministry of Defense, and the National Guard. However, three Ukrainian drones still managed to reach their intended targets.

The strike focused on the republic’s two operating thermal power plants — Zuevskaya and Starobeshevskaya. As a result, nearly 500,000 consumers were left without electricity.

Power restoration efforts in Donetsk and Makeevka began the same day. By the morning of April 6, DNR head Denis Pushilin reported that electricity had been restored to almost all users, although disruptions later resurfaced.

Meanwhile, the Energy Ministry of the Zaporozhye region indicated that the outages were linked to broader issues within the power grid affecting neighboring regions.