Russian military forces targeted Ukrainian power infrastructure in a series of attacks that resulted in the deaths of three energy workers and left tens of thousands of individuals without electricity and heating, according to officials today. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced the assaults on 12 Ukrainian regions, which occurred just before the commencement of trilateral peace discussions involving Kyiv, Moscow, and the United States in Geneva. Zelenskiy criticized the strikes as a coordinated effort to inflict maximum damage on the energy sector, emphasizing the importance of combining diplomacy with justice and strength.
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been repeated instances of Russia targeting Ukrainian energy facilities during the winter season, resulting in power outages and loss of heating. Ukraine’s deputy energy minister disclosed that the three workers were killed in an attack by a Russian drone near the Sloviansk power plant, located in a contested area that Moscow aims to acquire in exchange for peace negotiations. DTEK, a private energy company, reported significant damage to the power infrastructure supplying Odesa, a crucial Black Sea port city in Ukraine, stating that extensive repairs will be necessary to restore functionality.
Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov highlighted that households in five regions experienced power disruptions due to the attacks, with heating supply also being affected in Odesa and Sumy, a key regional center in northern Ukraine near the Russian border. Ukraine’s air force confirmed that Russia launched nearly 400 drones and 29 missiles during the attacks, with the majority being intercepted, but 13 targets within Ukraine were successfully hit.