Ukraine’s Energy System Targeted in Russian Attack, Thousands Affected
According to reports from Ukrainian national and local officials on Thursday, November 28th, Russia launched the second major attack on Ukraine’s energy system this month, causing explosions and widespread power outages across the country, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian Air Force issued alerts as Russia deployed seven Tu-95 strategic bombers to launch attacks on Ukraine, prompting the nation to enter a state of aerial vigilance.
Local officials reported that Russian forces conducted airstrikes on multiple regions of Ukraine, including Sumy, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Volyn Oblasts.
The attacks led to explosions in several cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Luhansk, and Rivne.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook, “Energy infrastructure has once again become the target of a massive enemy attack.”
Galushchenko stated that in response to the Russian assault, the Ukrainian national grid operator, Ukrenergo, implemented emergency power outage measures.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private electricity company, stated that the power outages impacted the capital, Kyiv, as well as Odesa, Dnipro, and Donetsk regions.
Previously, Russia had launched ten major attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, resulting in system paralysis and fueling fears of prolonged blackouts before winter.
Oleksandr Koval, Governor of Rivne Oblast in western Ukraine, reported that the attacks left 280,000 users without electricity and caused water supply disruptions, without detailing specific losses.
The Mayor of Lutsk city reported that multiple shell attacks caused widespread power outages, with efforts underway to connect water and heating infrastructure to alternative power sources.
Oleh Syniehubov, Governor of Kharkiv Oblast, stated that missile attacks had shattered windows of a commercial facility and an apartment building in the city.
The government of Sumy Oblast in the northeast reported infrastructure damage from Russian military strikes.
The military administration in Kyiv reported fragments from explosions hitting a commercial area, damaging several buildings and a truck.
Officials in Vinnytsia Oblast reported that a missile strike by Russian forces injured a woman and damaged residential buildings.
This article references reports from Reuters and Kyiv Independent.