Sudanupdated 1h ago2 min read
Rapid Support Forces Drone Strikes Damage Sudan Power Substations, Triggering Blackouts Across Four States
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RSF drone strike damaged a major substation, leaving large parts of Khartoum without power. Five power stations across four states were hit, triggering widespread electricity outages.
8 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Sudan’s Army Denies Drone Strike That Killed 153 at Amiet Common Market in Abyei →
Grid hit by drones
Drone strikes damaged electrical installations on Monday, October 26, in southeastern Sudan, causing outages in four states, the Sudan Electricity Holding Company announced. The Sudan Electricity Holding Company said the strikes damaged five substations and caused a power outage in four southeastern states, affecting the states of Sennar, Al-Qadarif, White Nile, and Al-Jazirah. The Sudan Electricity Holding Company attributed the attacks to the Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023.
The attacks targeted facilities in Sinja, El Hawata, Al Fao, Mashkour, and Al-Junaid, and the operator said the damage threatens the stability of the national grid. The operator said the impact goes beyond the directly struck areas, and it estimated that only 66% of the population had access to electricity in 2024, according to the World Bank.
Omdurman outage, blame
A government source told Al Jazeera early on October 27, 2026, that drones coming from Ethiopia targeted the Al-Murkhiyat electricity station in Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum. The General Secretariat of the Khartoum State Government announced on its Facebook account that the Al-Murkhiyat station had gone out of service after being targeted by “rebel militia with drones.” Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza said that “the militia’s targeting of service facilities and civilian property is expected and consistent with its approach since the start of the war to kill, displace, and destroy critical infrastructure.”
The ABC News report said a drone attack hit the Al-Markhiyat transformer station in Omdurman, and a company official blamed the strike on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The ABC News report also said the attack left hospitals and bakeries dependent on generators and limited water supplies across Khartoum for more than 12 hours.
Repairs and wider risk
Sudanese authorities began assessing the damage to the Morchiyat Electricity Transformation Station in the northwest of Omdurman on Tuesday, in preparation for repairs and returning it to service after a drone attack cut power to large parts of Khartoum and the White Nile states. The Sudanese Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Al-Mu'tasim Ibrahim Ahmed, discussed the technical consequences of the attack and urgent measures needed to repair faults and restore electricity supply through the national grid. The Sudan News Agency (SUNA) quoted the General Manager of Sudan Power Company Holding, Abdullah Ahmed Mohammed, saying that engineering and technical teams were assessing and inventorying the damages at the Morchiyat station.
A Sudanese military source told Al-Sharq that drones belonging to an “regional party” launched from Ethiopia targeted the Morchiyat Transformation Station for electricity, northwest of Omdurman. The International Committee of the Red Cross had warned in January 2025 that intensified attacks on vital civilian infrastructure in Sudan, including power and water stations and dams, put civilians at risk and disrupt essential services.