Russia has repeatedly attempted to cripple Ukraine’s electricity system by launching massive aerial attacks in an effort to break the will of civilians left in the dark with no running water or heating.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in his nightly briefing that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been hit by “one of the largest Russian attacks” but that the country’s systems were “being restored.”
According to Zelenskyy, Russia fired 94 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones at Ukraine on Friday morning. 81 missiles were shot down.
“This is a deliberate, cynical Russian terror against people. Each missile was aimed at a particular energy facility,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader also praised the outgoing administration of US President Joe Biden and Congress for a new $500 million (€475 million) military aid package.
“There is a defence package from the United States of America, and it includes, among other things, missiles for air defence,” he said.
The western city of Ivano-Frankivsk was one of the areas that came under attack in Friday’s barrage with series of explosions heard across the region.
Russia reportedly fired at critical infrastructure facilities, prompting local authorities to shut off power for central heating and hot water.
Local officials say that according to preliminary information, the strike was the largest attack on Ivano-Frankivsk by the Russian army since the beginning of the full-scale conflict in February 2022.
Investigators in the city say they have launched a pre-trial investigation under Article 438 of Ukraine’s criminal code alleging violations of the laws and customs of war.
Another of the regions targeted was the southern city of Odesa, where authorities say air defences shot down all of the Russian missiles.
There was some damage to civilian infrastructure from falling debris but no reported injuries or fatalities.
“This is the eighth time we’ve been bombed. We have already developed our algorithm. There was no one at the enterprise in the morning because we evacuate when our guards and the people who work here leave. We drive out the vehicles that can be driven out and take the dogs and cats with us to ensure that no soul is harmed,” said Oleksandr Shambalov, the director of a local haulage company.
Russia has repeatedly attempted to cripple Ukraine’s electricity system by launching massive aerial attacks in an effort to break the will of civilians left in the dark with no running water or heating and to disrupt Ukrainian defence manufacturing.
Moscow argues that such attacks aim to target Ukraine’s defence industry, producing missiles, drones, armoured vehicles and artillery, among other weapons.
The previous massive attack on 28 November involved about 200 missiles and drones and left more than a million households without power until emergency teams restored supplies.
Around half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war and rolling electricity blackouts are common and widespread.
