Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

The Russian Navy prevented a drone attack near Sevastopol

Russian naval forces have prevented a drone attack near Sevastopol on the annexed Crimean peninsula, reports Russian-appointed governor Mikhail Razvozhaev.

The headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is also located in the area.

"No targets were hit in the city and the situation is under control," Razvozhaev reports in Telegram.

The movement of ferries and vessels has been temporarily suspended.

Sevastopol is the second largest city on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Kyiv prepares for long blackouts due to Russian bombings

Ukrainian authorities have warned residents of the capital Kyiv to expect power outages lasting more than four hours due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

Frequent power outages affect not only Kyiv, but also the central regions of Ukraine, including the city of Dnipro.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that around four million people were affected, but "the shelling will not break us". Russia launched dozens of Iranian-made missiles and drones this month. Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been affected by the airstrikes, and President Zelensky has said that about a third of the country's power plants have been destroyed.

According to the private energy company DTEK, the Kyiv region has lost 30% of its capacity, meaning an "unprecedented" blackout will be required. Power outages mean restrictions on the use of street lights and public transport powered by electricity, in addition to the discomfort in people's homes.

The EU and other international allies of Kyiv have condemned the deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure - attacks that Ukraine views as war crimes.

Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv, badly hit by Russian shelling, is also facing blackout, as are the central cities of Zhytomyr, Poltava and Chernihiv.

Russia has stepped up its missile attacks on Ukrainian power plants and other civilian infrastructure in response to the Oct. 9 bombing of the Kerch Bridge, a key link with Russian-annexed Crimea.

President Vladimir Putin called the blast a Ukrainian "terrorist act". The bridge is a symbol of his campaign to join large territories of Ukraine to Russia.

Medvedev: Ukraine will have electricity when Kyiv recognizes Russia's new regions

Electricity supply in Ukraine will significantly improve if the country officially recognizes the new regions of Russia, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote in Telegram, quoted by BTA.

"The path to stability of energy supplies is different. It is necessary to recognize the legitimacy of Russia's demands within the framework of the special military operation and its results reflected in our constitution," he wrote and added. "Then the energy will return...".

Medvedev, who is a former Russian president, also claimed that buying electricity from Slovakia would lead to even higher energy prices for Ukrainians.

Ukraine and the United Nations have condemned Russia's attempts to annex Ukrainian regions, saying that the annexation is neither legal nor valid, the American television CNN recalled.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Glushchenko described Medvedev's comments as "the usual Russian approach".

Glushchenko also called for international assistance regarding air defense systems.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that over 4 million people in Ukraine are without electricity. In the capital, Kyiv, there will be a severe power cut due to the Russian bombing.

The president added that about 1/3 of the country's power plants were destroyed by airstrikes. Authorities have already warned Kyiv residents to expect power outages lasting more than four hours. This will also affect the central regions of Ukraine, including the city of Dnipro.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, announced that the city's power grid is operating in emergency mode and the electricity shortage is in the order of 20 to 50%. He appealed to European countries for help in the form of generators and warm blankets.

The city of Kharkiv, badly hit by Russian shelling, is also facing blackout, as are the central cities of Zhytomyr, Poltava and Chernihiv.

Zelensky: Russia is trying to turn Kherson into a no man's land

“Russian forces in the occupied Ukrainian region of Kherson are carrying out mass thefts of medical equipment and ambulances to make the area uninhabitable”, said President Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by Reuters.

Ukrainian troops have massed near Kherson, in the south of the country, prompting Russian-appointed officials to evacuate many residents. Kherson is one of four regions that Moscow claims are part of Russia.

"The occupiers have decided to close the medical facilities in the cities, to seize the medical equipment, the ambulances, everything. They are putting pressure on the doctors who are still left... to move to the territory of Russia," Zelensky said.

"Russia is trying to turn Kherson Oblast into a no-man's land," he added in a video address, saying pro-Russian forces had realized they could not hold the city and were therefore taking what they could.

Ukrainian officials regularly accuse retreating Russian troops of looting, Reuters recalls.

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