Ukrainian officials reported a significant assault on energy infrastructure, with power plants and a major hydroelectric dam sustaining damage in a large-scale attack during the ongoing conflict.
Early Friday morning, a barrage of Russian missiles and drones struck power facilities, plunging over a million Ukrainians into darkness. This assault, deemed one of the most extensive on energy infrastructure since the conflict began, resulted in casualties, with at least three individuals killed and 15 others injured, as confirmed by Ukraine’s general prosecutor.
The escalation in attacks coincided with heightened rhetoric from the Kremlin, which abandoned the term “special military operation” and declared Russia to be “in a state of war” in Ukraine, attributing this shift to increased Western support for Ukraine.
The impact of the attacks was felt across various regions. In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, malfunctioning traffic lights and disrupted water supplies added to the chaos. Meanwhile, a fire broke out at Zaporizhzhia, home to Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric dam, while a nearby power line supplying a nuclear plant under Russian control was temporarily disabled.
Addressing the situation, Herman Halushchenko, Ukraine’s energy minister, took to Facebook, condemning the assault as the most significant on the country’s energy sector in recent memory. He emphasized that the objective extended beyond mere damage, hinting at a potential repeat of last year’s extensive disruption to the energy system.
Despite the severity of the attack, reassurances were provided regarding the safety of the Dnipro hydroelectric plant’s dam in Zaporizhzhia. However, a critical condition was reported for one of its generating units, highlighting the extent of the damage inflicted on Ukraine’s vital energy infrastructure.