Ukrainian attack damages power plants in Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk, official says

(Reuters) -The Moscow-installed head of the parts of Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk controlled by Russia said on Tuesday that "an unprecedented" Ukrainian overnight attack damaged two thermal power plants, leaving many settlements without electricity.

Denis Pushilin, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said boiler houses and water filtration plants at the Zuivska and Starobesheve thermal power plants had shut down and that emergency crews were working to restore supplies.

On Monday, Pushilin said that an attack by Ukrainian strike drones on energy infrastructure had left roughly 500,000 people without power across several districts.

Reuters could not independently verity the report. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about the attack.

Kyiv has stepped up long-range drone and missile strikes against power plants and infrastructure in Russian-controlled parts of Donetsk in recent weeks, seeking to disrupt military logistics and undermine Moscow's ability to sustain its war.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)