The images, captured over the month, show the Earth’s surface in the region in dark conditions. City lights can be seen in detail on a daily basis in the images, which were greyscaled by NASA.
Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday (November 23) that three nuclear power plants on territory held by Ukrainian forces had been switched off after the latest wave of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities.
All of the Kyiv capital region, where over three million people live, lost electricity, Kyiv’s governor said, and emergency blackouts were necessary across other regions to conserve energy.
Officials across the border in Moldova said electricity was also lost to more than half of their country, the first time a neighbouring state has reported such extensive damage from the war in Ukraine triggered by Russia’s invasion nine months ago.
NASA used its Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on board the joint NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership satellite, combined with a specialized imaging layer to reveal the extent of Ukraine’s blackout. The Earth’s surface and atmosphere are captured in low-light conditions by the ultra-sensitive instrument on the satellite.
