Russia launched its second major assault on Ukraine’s energy grid this month, severely disrupting power supplies across vast regions of the country. Over 1 million people in the west, south, and central Ukraine were left without electricity following the attack. Damage was reported in key regions, including Lviv, Volyn, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi in the west, Mykolayiv, and Kherson in the south, and Zhytomyr in the center. The missile and drone strike heightened concerns of prolonged power outages as temperatures dip near freezing, signaling tough winter conditions.
Ukrainian officials confirmed that the attack marked the 11th major strike on the country’s energy infrastructure since March. These assaults have crippled roughly half of Ukraine’s power generation capacity, causing extensive blackouts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the latest strike as a “despicable escalation,” noting that Russia used cruise missiles armed with cluster munitions.
In response, Ukraine’s air defense managed to intercept 79 out of 91 incoming missiles and down 35 drones. Despite the damage, the capital Kyiv avoided major power disruptions as air defenses shot down all incoming projectiles. The attack has forced Ukraine to disconnect several nuclear power units, which supply over half of the nation’s electricity, while regional officials scrambled to power emergency services amid the blackout.
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Kharkiv’s regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, reported that the missile strike hit the city, causing damage to a business facility and shattering windows in an apartment building. In the northeastern Sumy region, a missile targeted key infrastructure, according to local authorities. Meanwhile, in Kyiv, debris from the attack fell onto a business premises, causing minor damage to several buildings and a truck, as confirmed by the Kyiv city military administration. A source within Ukraine’s energy sector told Reuters that the Russian assault inflicted significant damage and involved the extensive use of cluster munitions.
(With Reuters inputs)
