3 dead as brutal storm plunges Ukraine, Russia’s Black Sea coast

At least three people have died after a deadly storm in the Black Sea battered southern Ukraine and Russian-occupied Crimea on Sunday. Over half a million people are also said to be without power amid flooding and high winds in the occupied region as per media reports.

Russian state media reported one storm-related fatality in the resort city of Sochi. Two other deaths occurred in Crimea - one directly on the Moscow-occupied peninsula and another on a vessel traversing the Kerch Strait which separates Crimea from mainland Russia.

Deadly storm leaves Ukraine-Russia without electricity

Ukraine's Energy Ministry stated nearly 150,000 households suffered power outages in Odesa, Mykolaiv and many other regions as strong winds uprooted trees and downed transmission lines. Russia's Energy Ministry meanwhile confirmed around 1.9 million residents lost electricity across several southern provinces, including Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea.

Moscow-installed Crimean governor Sergey Aksyonov declared a state of emergency due to what Russia's meteorological agency called the strongest storm on record since monitoring began. Rescue crews reportedly evacuated hundreds of residents as the dangerous weather persisted.

Storm adds to war-torn Ukraine's woes

The brutal storm added to Ukraine's infrastructure woes as a 360-foot power plant smokestack collapsed Sunday night in Odesa, a Black Sea port already heavily damaged by Russian missile strikes. Emergency crews were able to restore heating after temporary shutdowns, as per media reports.

Further predictions

Forecasters predict conditions will likely worsen with heavy snowfall and winds in the coming days. Ukrainian officials continue repair efforts but warn that Russian attacks have debilitated energy systems heading into winter.

Human rights groups accuse Moscow of purposefully targeting civilian power and heat sources. Over 10 million Ukrainians have endured utility outages and freezing temperatures for days at a time since the infrastructure bombardment escalated in October.