In an alarming turn of events, Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure reduced Ukraine’s generating capacity to near zero.
Russian drones targeted two nuclear power substations well within western Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha informed.
He has called on the UN’s nuclear watchdog to respond, saying that “Russia is deliberately endangering nuclear safety in Europe”.
Power was cut for between eight and 16 hours across most of Ukraine’s regions on Sunday. Power plants were damaged.
This happened because Russia spent the weekend catapulting hundreds of ballistic missiles on energy facilities.
Seven people were killed.
Repairs were carried out, and energy sourcing was diverted, but electricity, heat and water were down in several cities. Ukrainians relied on makeshift power sources, such as reading lamps connected to power banks.
“An unprecedented number of missiles and countless drones – several per minute – targeted the same thermal power plants that we had restored after the devastating attack of 2024,” declared state provider Centerenergo said in a statement.
Ballistic missiles are notoriously difficult to shoot down.
Such an attack is unprecedented since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, even though Russia has always targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. But these attacks have become more frequent and intense: this last attack is the ninth on gas infrastructure since the beginning of October. Ukraine has retaliated with strikes on Russian oil depots and refineries.
The fact that this is happening at the beginning of winter is deeply troubling.
Romania and Bulgaria rush to stop Russian refineries from shutdown ahead of Trump sanctions
