(AP) – Power was restored to over 800,000 residents in Kiev on Saturday, following a significant attack by Russia on Ukraine’s power infrastructure the previous day, which caused widespread blackouts across the nation. European leaders also decided to proceed with utilizing hundreds of billions in frozen Russian assets to bolster Ukraine’s military efforts.
DTEK, the largest private energy company in Ukraine, announced on Saturday that they had completed the primary work needed to restore power supplies. However, localized outages were still affecting parts of the capital after the “massive” assault by Russia on Friday.
Early Friday, Russian missile and drone strikes injured at least 20 individuals in Kiev, damaging residential areas and leading to further power outages throughout Ukraine.
Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko characterized this attack as “one of the largest concentrated attacks” aimed at the country’s energy infrastructure.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense revealed that this offensive targeted energy facilities serving the Ukrainian military. Although specific details were limited, it was mentioned that Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were employed in the drone attacks.
Energy resources have been a crucial front since Russia’s full-scale invasion began more than three years ago.
Each year, Russia tries to significantly weaken Ukraine’s power grid before winter, presumably to diminish public morale. Winter lasts from late October until March, with January and February typically being the coldest months.
In a speech Friday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed that Russia was capitalizing on the global focus on peace prospects in the Middle East. He urged for enhancements to Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and stricter sanctions against Russia.
“We need to fully leverage Russia’s assets to strengthen our defense and aid in our recovery,” he stated in a video posted on X.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement on Friday expressing their commitment to mobilizing the “value of Russia’s immobilized sovereign assets in a coordinated effort to support the Ukrainian military and push Russia toward negotiations.”
The statement highlighted that this initiative would be pursued “in close coordination with the United States.”
Estimates indicate that Ukraine’s budget and military needs for 2026 and 2027 may reach around 130 billion euros ($153 billion). Since the conflict began in February 2022, the European Union has contributed approximately 174 billion euros (about $202 billion).
The most significant reserves are tied up in frozen Russian assets, predominantly located in Belgium (around 194 billion euros, or about $225 billion as of June), with roughly $50 billion held outside the EU in Japan and smaller amounts in the United States, Britain, and Canada.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on Saturday that its air defense successfully intercepted or shot down 54 of the 78 Russian drones launched into Ukraine overnight, while the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have knocked down 42 Ukrainian drones over its own territory.
