Russia launched an extended attack on Ukraine’s energy networks, marking the 12th major attack targeting such Ukranian systems in the calendar year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 93 missiles and over 200 drones were used in the attack, but Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepted 81 of the missiles.
Major goals included the energy facilities of western Ukraine, with particular damage observed in the Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Ternopil provinces. Authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk described it as the most devastating attack on the area so far. Nationwide, rolling blackouts were imposed while Ukraine’s energy company Ukrenergo battled to maintain grid stability. The employer also started to import power from neighboring nations (e.g., Poland and Romania) to rectify the damage.
The Kremlin stated that the attacks were retaliation for a Ukrainian assault on a Russian military airbase recently using US-supplied ATACMS missiles. Moscow claimed that the US escalated the crisis by allowing the Ukrainians to hit within Russian territory.
Trump speaks on attack on Ukraine’s energy networks
US President-elect Donald Trump has been critical of the role of US-operated missiles in such strikes in an interview with Time magazine. Calling the move crazy, Trump warned of an escalating situation and promised to follow through on a peace treaty, etc. The Kremlin praised Trump’s comments, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating they aligned with Moscow’s stance. He added,
“We’re just escalating this war and making it worse.”
Russia’s attacks took place on one of the coldest Ukrainian winter days when temperatures dropped to -6°C. However, destruction in western Ukraine has been without any significant damage to critical or residential infrastructure, according to the reports of Kyiv. But five of the nine operational nuclear reactors in the country all backed down the power output in a precautionary manner.
The war, which has been ongoing since February 2022, when Russia launched its large-scale invasion, has led to the trapping and liberation of approximately 2,350 square kilometers of territory in eastern Ukraine and parts of western Russia. Run by ongoing violence, both sides seem trapped in a retaliatory cycle.
Also, see: Russia-Ukraine war update: Ukraine uses UK-supplied missiles to strike Russian targets ‘first time’