Russian forces targeted Ukrainian power infrastructure in a recent assault, resulting in the deaths of three energy workers and leaving tens of thousands of individuals without electricity and warmth, officials revealed today. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy strongly criticized the attacks on 12 Ukrainian regions that occurred just before the commencement of trilateral talks supported by the US involving Kyiv and Moscow in Geneva.
Zelenskiy described the strikes as a coordinated effort to inflict maximum damage on Ukraine’s energy sector, emphasizing the need for diplomacy supported by both justice and strength. Since initiating a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has frequently conducted assaults on Ukrainian energy facilities during the winter season, leading to power outages and heating disruptions.
According to Ukraine’s deputy energy minister, the three workers lost their lives when a Russian drone targeted their vehicle near the Sloviansk power plant, situated in a frontline area that Moscow aims to acquire in exchange for peace. The power infrastructure serving Odesa, a crucial Black Sea port city, sustained significant damage, as confirmed by private energy company DTEK, which stated that repairing the equipment would be a lengthy process.
Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov reported power cuts in five regions due to the attacks, along with heating supply disruptions in Odesa and Sumy, a regional capital in northern Ukraine near the Russian border. Ukraine’s air force disclosed that Russia deployed nearly 400 drones and 29 missiles during the assault, resulting in the destruction of 13 targets in Ukraine despite the successful interception of most of the incoming threats.
