Russia launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on Wednesday, intensifying its campaign to disrupt the country’s power grid in the midst of winter. The offensive, which targeted gas facilities and other energy structures across Ukraine’s western regions, marks the latest effort to cripple the nation’s energy system as the harsh winter deepens.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces fired more than 40 missiles during a morning assault and over 70 drones at night. In response, the Ukrainian air defences shot down and destroyed 30 missiles and 47 drones while also saying 27 were “lost” as electronic warfare measures employed by Kyiv left them without signal.
Zelenskiy called the attack another attempt to undermine Ukraine’s essential infrastructure during the coldest months of the year. “Another massive Russian attack. It’s the middle of winter, and the target for the Russians remains unchanged: our energy infrastructure,” he stated in a post on social media. He emphasized that Russia aimed at critical energy facilities, including gas plants that ensure the functioning of the country’s daily life.
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was attacked as well. Hundreds of its residents took refuge in underground metro stations. Many spent the night there, laying on yoga mats, sitting on chairs, and accompanied by their pets. The western region of Lviv reported damage to energy facilities in the Drohobych and Stryi districts. Air defenses repelled further attacks in Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv.
Russia’s Defence Ministry, however, said that all the targeted energy facilities in Ukraine were hit by its missile strikes. According to an official statement released late on Wednesday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said these strikes were a response to Ukrainian attacks using US ATACMS missiles and British-made Storm Shadow missiles, as well as an attack on Russia’s Krasnodar region, which had been aimed at disrupting the Turkstream pipeline network.
As the conflict enters its 16th month, the Ukrainian government continues to prepare for further attacks on its energy infrastructure, while the civilian population endures increasing hardships due to the continued winter assault.
