Russia Launches Major Offensive On Ukraine's Energy Facilities, Kyiv Calls It 'Despicable Escalation'

Russia launched its second major attack this month on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Thursday, causing widespread power outages across the country.

President Vladimir Putin stated that the strikes were in retaliation for Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS medium-range missiles to attack Russian territory. He warned that future Russian targets could include "decision-making centres" in Kyiv, reported Reuters.

Photo Credit: PTI

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the strikes as a "despicable escalation," accusing Russia of using cruise missiles armed with cluster munitions.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said he was consulting Western leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, to coordinate a response to "Russia's attempt to make the situation more unbearable and drag out the war."

"Now is the time to strengthen our positions - the position of Ukraine and our partners," he declared.

U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the Russian strikes as "outrageous," calling them "another reminder of the urgency and importance of supporting the Ukrainian people in their defence against Russian aggression."

Widespread Power Cuts

More than one million people were left without power immediately after the strikes, with millions more facing intensified rolling blackouts. Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 91 missiles and 97 drones, with 12 hitting their targets, mostly energy and fuel facilities.

"The enemy is using a large number of missiles and drones. Their massive use in certain areas often exceeds the number of means of (air defence) cover," the air force stated.

The Interior Ministry reported damage to infrastructure across nine regions. With temperatures around zero, the attack has heightened fears of prolonged power outages during the winter.

Officials said it marked the 11th major strike on Ukraine's energy system since March. Russia has destroyed approximately half of Ukraine's generating capacity during the war, significantly damaging the distribution system and necessitating long blackouts.

Ukraine's air force claimed to have intercepted 79 missiles and downed 35 drones, while a further 62 drones were "lost," likely due to electronic warfare interference. As a precaution, Ukraine disconnected all nuclear power units from the grid before the strikes. Nuclear power provides over half of Ukraine's electricity.

State grid operator Ukrenergo announced deep power cuts nationwide due to the damage, warning some areas would face at least 12 hours without electricity. However, all missiles and drones aimed at Kyiv were intercepted, according to officials.

Advanced Tactics and Defence Challenges

The air force revealed that Russia was deploying thermal and radar decoys to mislead Ukrainian air defences and equipping missiles with electronic warfare devices.

"All this significantly complicates the operation of Soviet-made anti-aircraft missile systems ... Western systems work much more effectively in such conditions, but Ukraine does not have enough to reliably cover hundreds of critical infrastructure facilities," the air force stated. Foggy weather further hampered the ability of machine gunners to detect drones.

More than 33 months into the conflict, Russian ground forces are reportedly advancing at their fastest rate in two years. Russia has also fired a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine following the U.S. decision to allow Kyiv to target Russian territory with advanced Western missiles.

"Putin does not want peace. We must force him into peace through strength," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, reiterating Kyiv's plea for more air defence and long-range capabilities from Western allies.

Regional Impact

In western Ukraine, Lviv's regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported that the strikes left approximately 523,000 people without electricity. Power cuts also affected nearly 500,000 residents in the Volyn and Rivne regions, with disruptions reported in Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr.

State oil and gas company Naftogaz confirmed its facilities were targeted in the morning strikes. Authorities across Ukraine activated generators to ensure emergency heat and water supplies for hospitals, schools, and other essential services amid the harsh winter conditions.