KYIV: Russia’s military on Thursday (Nov 28) launched a large assault on Ukraine’s vitality sector, forcing emergency energy outages as temperatures dropped to freezing throughout the nation.
Ukraine’s energy grid has been heavily targeted since Russia invaded in February 2022, with Kyiv accusing Moscow of “terror” ways by attempting to plunge Ukrainian cities into darkness and reduce off heating to civilians all through the winter.
The in a single day strikes come after two weeks of dramatic escalation that has seen each side launch new weapons to gain the upper hand forward of Donald Trump being inaugurated as US president in January.
Ukraine’s Vitality Minister German Galushchenko stated energy infrastructure was “beneath large enemy assault” after a national air alert was issued for incoming missiles.
The air drive reported a string of Russian cruise missiles and assault drones heading for cities throughout the nation, together with the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv within the northeast and the Black Sea port metropolis of Odesa.
“As soon as once more, the vitality sector is beneath large enemy assault. Assaults on vitality amenities are going down throughout Ukraine,” Galushchenko stated.
Nationwide energy grid operator Ukrenergo had “urgently launched emergency energy cuts”, he added, as temperatures dropped to round 0 levels Celsius.
Vitality supplier DTEK stated Ukrenergo was introducing emergency energy outages within the areas of Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro and Donetsk.
The nationwide assault was ongoing as of 8am (2pm, Singapore time), in line with messages from the air drive.
“As quickly because the safety scenario will enable it, the results (of the strikes) shall be specified,” Galushchenko stated.