More than a million Ukrainians are without power after Russia launched its largest ever missile and drone attack on the country’s energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 88 missiles and 63 Iranian-made Shahed drones, and 37 and 55 were shot down, respectively. However, other disasters reportedly destroyed the country’s largest dam and caused power outages in several areas.
“The enemy is now carrying out the largest attack on Ukraine’s energy industry in recent times,” said German Energy Minister Galushchenko.
“The goal is to not only cause damage, but to try again to cause a major disruption to the operation of the country’s energy system, as we did last year.”
Several major power generation facilities were damaged in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk, including the country’s largest dam and the Dnipro hydropower plant, one of Europe’s largest.
image Posted X showed a fire breaking out at the Dnipro HES dam, but Ukrainian authorities said there was no risk of it collapsing.
Russia conducted regular attacks on Ukrainian power plants, hydroelectric plants, substations, and heat-generating facilities during the winter of 2022-23, leaving the average Ukrainian household without power for weeks.
In the early months of the war’s second winter, the country appeared more prepared and able to defend its energy infrastructure, but delays in critical U.S. aid made it difficult for Kiev to attack. The ability to endure has weakened significantly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy harshly criticized continued uncertainty over Western aid. “Unlike the support measures for Ukraine, there will be no delays on Russian missiles,” President Zelenskiy wrote on social media after Friday’s attack.
“Unlike some politicians, Shahed Drone has no indecision. It is important that we understand the costs of delays and deferred decisions. Our partners know exactly what is needed. They will definitely support us. These are necessary decisions. We must protect our lives from the barbarians who came from Moscow.”
When Ukraine came under heavy shelling, the Financial Times report The US government announced that it has asked Kiev to halt drone attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, fearing a rise in global oil prices.
Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has been using domestically produced drones to wreak havoc on Russia’s energy infrastructure. The attack shut down several major refineries deep inside Russia, which account for about 12% of Moscow’s refining capacity. The attack also led to a spike in oil prices, which have risen nearly 4% since March 12.
The Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter, said U.S. officials believe that further rises in domestic gas prices could hurt Joe Biden’s reputation and threaten his chances of winning a second term as president. The newspaper reported that he is concerned that his campaign for election may be weakened.
The report has sparked anger within Ukraine and is likely to cause further friction between Kiev and its Western allies.
“Stop projecting fear! Ukraine should and will attack Moscow’s refineries. This is the most effective energy sanctions ever,” said Director General of the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center Daria Kalenyuk wrote in X.
The Kremlin intensified its hostile rhetoric, blaming Western intervention for plunging Ukraine into a “state of war.”
“It began as a special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, using Moscow’s preferred term for a full-scale invasion of a neighboring country. “But…as soon as the Western countries got involved in this on the Ukrainian side, it became a war for us.”
Since French President Emmanuel Macron paved the way for the dispatch of European ground forces to Ukraine, the Kremlin has taken a markedly more aggressive course toward the West. President Vladimir Putin has previously told NATO countries that sending troops to fight in Ukraine risks triggering a nuclear war.
Tatyana Stanovaya, a political analyst and founder of political analysis firm R.Politic, said Peskov’s comments on Friday signaled the beginning of a new chapter in the conflict.
“It’s now official. Special military operations are now recognized as wars,” she wrote on Telegram.
“In effect, of course, special military operations turned into war a long time ago. But we have now crossed some kind of psychological line, beyond which even more Things will become required.”
The Russian government has shown no plans to ease its attack on Ukraine two years after launching a full-scale invasion, but the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board on Thursday said the war could end at the end of 2024. It is predicted that the outbreak will be over by the end of the year. .
The IMF official made the comments as the fund approved a third review of Ukraine’s $15.6bn (£9.2bn) loan program, allowing the release of $880m in budget support.
