Russia Launches Massive Missile Attack on Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure
Russia has launched a significant missile strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, targeting power grids across the country, particularly in the western border regions. The attack, which occurred on Friday morning, involved the use of 93 cruise missiles and over 200 drones, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukrainian forces successfully intercepted 81 of the missiles, including 11 that were downed by F-16 planes. The Russian assault also included hypersonic Kinzhal missiles launched from the air, as confirmed by Ukraine’s air force.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko assured that energy workers are making every effort to “minimise the negative impact” on the country’s energy system. The Russian military has been systematically targeting Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure over recent months, aiming to create chaos as winter approaches, with temperatures set to plummet well below zero across the country.
In the western Ivano-Frankivsk region, Svitlana Onishchuk reported that it had suffered its most significant attack since the war began, with missiles and drones hitting critical energy infrastructure. Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties so far.
Ukraine’s energy grid has been repeatedly targeted throughout the ongoing conflict, leading to frequent emergency shutdowns and scheduled power cuts. Nearly half of the country’s generating capacity has been destroyed over almost three years of war, with repair efforts underway at power plants across the nation after each strike.
Energy expert Andrian Prokip from the Kennan Institute in Washington DC predicted that such attacks will likely continue over the next six weeks, as both Russia and Ukraine prepare for potential geopolitical shifts following the U.S. presidential election. “Russia likely wants to pressure Ukraine’s power system ahead of Trump’s inauguration, aiming to present a picture of destruction,” Prokip stated.
In response to the attack, President Zelenskyy decried it as part of Russian President Putin’s “peace plan,” asserting that Russia’s strategy is to “destroy everything” as a means to force negotiations. While former U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, many analysts believe Russia is unwilling to negotiate unless terms are heavily skewed in its favor.
On November 21, Russia used the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which has nuclear capabilities, for the first time in an attack on an industrial plant in Dnipro. Although U.S. officials warned that another Oreshnik strike could be imminent, there is no indication that this weapon was used in Friday’s attack.
