Ukraine's Odesa battles to restore power after fire wipes out substation

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, accompanied by Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, speaks during a news briefing, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine November 7, 2022. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ODESA, Ukraine (Reuters) -The Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Saturday restored power to critical infrastructure after a fire broke out at an overloaded substation, leaving nearly 500,000 people without electricity, a top official said.

The blaze, which erupted earlier in the day, is a new blow to the country's ailing energy grid that has been hammered by Russian strikes for months.