Russia launched a major airstrike against Ukraine on Friday using dozens of cruise missiles and drones. The attack was aimed at disrupting the country's power system.
Energy Minister Herman Khrushchenko wrote on his Facebook page that Russian forces targeted Ukraine's power grid.
“The enemy continues to terrorize,” he said.
Khrushchenko said energy workers were doing everything necessary to “minimize the negative impact on the energy system” and promised to publish details of the damage when the security situation allows.
Ukraine's air force reported that multiple attack drones were launched into Ukraine overnight, followed by a swarm of cruise missiles into the country's airspace.
Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against western Ukraine, the report said.
Friday's attack was the latest in a series of such attacks, raising fears that the Kremlin is aiming to destroy the country's power generation capacity as winter sets in.
Since launching its invasion in February 2022, Russia has relentlessly attacked Ukraine's power systems, resulting in several harsh winters in an apparent attempt to break Ukraine's spirit and resolve. Critical heating and drinking water supplies have been repeatedly cut off for months.
The Russian government said the attack was aimed at disrupting Ukraine's defense industry and disrupting the production of weapons such as missiles, drones, armored vehicles and artillery.
A similar large-scale attack on November 28th used around 200 missiles and drones and left more than 1 million homes without power until emergency teams could restore supplies.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles in case of further attacks.
On November 21, Russia used a medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time to attack an industrial plant in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Oleshnik missile attack was in retaliation for Ukraine's attacks on Russian territory with long-range Western weapons.
He declared that further attacks with this new weapon could follow.
On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukraine attacked an air base in Taganrog, south of Rostov, with six US-supplied ATACMS missiles, injuring several soldiers and damaging several buildings and vehicles.
He vowed to fight back.
The Pentagon warned on Wednesday that Russia could soon use a new missile against Ukraine again.
About half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the nearly three-year war with Russia, causing widespread rolling blackouts.
Kiev's Western allies provide Ukraine with air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure, but Russia is seeking to overwhelm them with a combined attack using large numbers of missiles and drones.
Russia has taken the lead this year, with Russian forces steadily breaking through eastern Ukraine's defenses in a series of slow but steady attacks.
