A devastating winter storm wreaked havoc across Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea coast, resulting in at least 13 fatalities and several injuries in Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia. The storm, which brought strong winds and heavy snowfall, caused the toppling of trees and power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed concern over the loss of lives due to the inclement weather, with five deaths and 19 injuries reported in Odesa.
As of the evening of November 27, 882 settlements in 12 regions of Ukraine were without power, with the Odesa region being the most heavily affected. In Moldova, Bulgaria, and Romania, the storm also led to road accidents, power outages, and significant damage. The Russian Energy Ministry reported that 1.9 million people were affected by power cuts in several southern regions, as well as in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.
The storm had far-reaching consequences, with casualties reported in the form of traffic accidents, drowning, and injuries from fallen trees in the affected regions. The city of Sevastopol in Russia saw extensive damage, including evacuations, power outages, and the loss of 800 animals at the Aquarium Museum. In Crimea and the Russian-occupied Kherson region, hundreds of settlements were left without electricity and significant infrastructure damage.
In Bulgaria, a state of emergency was declared in several areas due to heavy snowfall and blizzards, leaving 1,000 settlements without electricity. Across the region, road and railway traffic faced severe disruption. The storm, described as “one of the strongest storms to ever hit at the end of November” by the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia, left a trail of destruction and loss in its wake.
In summary, the destructive winter storm caused widespread devastation, resulting in casualties, injuries, evacuations, and significant infrastructure damage across Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia. The impact of the storm led to road accidents, power outages, and disruptions in communication and transportation in several countries in Southeastern Europe and along the Black Sea coast.