- Russia launches massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine's energy facilities.
- Millions left without power as 80% of energy capacity damaged or destroyed.
- Zelensky compares Russia's actions to Nazi Germany's invasion of Soviet Union.
In a massive early morning assault, Russia unleashed over 50 missiles and 20 drones on energy facilities across Ukraine, targeting seven regions, including Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv. This attack marks the latest in a series of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid, which Moscow claims is a legitimate military target.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, drawing parallels between Russia’s actions and Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. He referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime as “Moscow Nazis” and accused Russia of “demonstrating that Nazism has resurfaced with each new crime.”
The strikes damaged several key energy and transport sites, including thermal powerplants and gas storage facilities, leaving millions of Ukrainians without power. Ukraine’s largest energy provider, DTEK, reported that at least three thermal powerplants were seriously damaged, with 80% of its generating capacity already damaged or destroyed.
Ukraine’s energy ministry warned of potential limitations to energy supply for industrial consumers, while the interior minister reported that two people in Kyiv and one child in the Kirovhrad region were injured in the attacks.
Despite the damage, Ukraine’s air force successfully intercepted dozens of missiles and 20 of 21 Iranian-made Shahed drones fired towards the country. Russia’s defence ministry claimed to have used high-precision Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in the attack.
The true impact of the Russian attacks may not be felt until annual energy consumption peaks in the winter, experts warn. Last month, a powerplant near Kyiv was destroyed, leaving three regions without electricity. Ukrainian forces retaliated by targeting an oil storage depot near the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk, injuring five workers.
In a separate incident, Polish border officials detained a 41-year-old Russian military deserter as he crossed into the country from Belarus, carrying Russian military papers.
The attack on Ukraine’s energy facilities is a devastating blow to the country’s infrastructure and civilians, and it remains to be seen how Ukraine will respond to this latest escalation in the conflict.
