Russia launches “massive” attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure

Ukraine said on Saturday that Russia had launched a “massive” attack on energy infrastructure in the west and south of the country overnight.

“Equipment at the plant of operator Ukrenergo in the Zaporizhia and Lviv regions was damaged,” the Energy Ministry said, adding that two employees in Zaporizhia were injured and hospitalized.

It said this was “the eighth massive, combined attack on energy infrastructure facilities” in the last three months.

More than two years after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s electricity generation has been crippled by targeted missile and drone attacks, forcing Kyiv to implement power cuts and import supplies from the European Union.

Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday that a major attack overnight had damaged energy infrastructure, including a power plant, and injured seven employees.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, said the strikes had caused “serious damage” to one of its power plants.

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian attacks have destroyed half of Ukraine’s energy capacity.

Zelensky said this week that all hospitals and schools in Ukraine must be equipped with solar panels “as soon as possible”.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that Russia’s attempts to blackmail us in the area of ​​heat and electricity fail,” he said on Thursday.

DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko warned that Ukraine would face “a serious crisis this winter” if the country’s Western allies did not provide military assistance to defend the energy network.

Zelensky repeatedly called on Ukraine’s allies to send more air defense systems to protect the country’s vital infrastructure.

John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, said on Thursday that Washington would give priority to supplying anti-aircraft missiles to Kyiv over other countries that had placed orders.

In a message on X, Zelensky said he was “deeply grateful” for the US move.

“These additional air defense capabilities will protect Ukrainian cities and civilians,” he wrote.