Russia hammered Ukrainian energy facilities in a massive aerial attack that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was one of the largest yet on the ailing grid. He said the attack underscores why Kyiv needed more Western support before any peace with Russia.
This is the 12th major assault by Russia on the energy system this year. The attack damaged power facilities in several Ukrainian regions and forced authorities to impose even longer electricity cuts for millions of civilians, the national grid operator said.
With winter temperatures around -6 degrees Celsius, the strikes increase pressure on Ukraine at an unpredictable moment with Donald Trump set to return to the White House next month, hoping to end the war with Russia quickly.
“This is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s plan for ‘peace’ – to destroy everything. This is how he wants ‘negotiations’ – terrorising millions of people,” Zelenskyy said on social media.
“A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike – a massive reaction.”
Russia launched 93 missiles, including one manufactured in North Korea, and nearly 200 drones during the attack, Zelenskyy said. Air defences intercepted 81 of the missiles, including 11 shot down by F-16 fighter jets, he added.
The full extent of the damage was hard to assess. After repeated attacks by Russia, officials reveal little detailed information about the state of the network.
Officials said that six unspecified energy facilities were damaged in the western region of Lviv, which borders Poland.
An industry source told Reuters the attack had targeted power substations and that there had been more strikes on gas infrastructure than in past assaults.
Unspecified equipment at thermal power plants sustained serious damage, according to DTEK, Ukraine’s biggest private power provider, which has been battered by the strikes since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Officials said they had imposed additional power cuts due to the attack. In the region outside Kyiv, the power cuts were scheduled to last for 11 hours, up from eight hours before the attack from Russia. Around half of power company Yasno’s 3.5 million consumers were without power on Friday, their CEO said.
“I reiterate my call for the urgent delivery of 20 NASAMS, HAWK, or IRIS-T air defence systems,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote in a post on social media, responding to the attack.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said five of Ukraine’s nine operating nuclear reactor units had reduced power output due to renewed attacks on energy infrastructure. One person received light injuries in the attack by Russia, officials said.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)
