A Russian drone and missile attack targeting Ukraine’s energy grid on Friday morning left thousands without power in Kyiv and other regions.
Power has since been restored to most of the city, with Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk reporting that power had been restored for 270,000 customers. However, the full extent of the blackouts is not yet known.
On Friday morning, Russian drones struck key energy sites in Kyiv, along with at least one high-rise apartment building, which triggered a major fire.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported early Friday that the overnight strikes had disrupted Kyiv’s water supply, which may have exacerbated the situation. Authorities said they expected the water supply to return to normal by the end of the day Friday.
At least 12 people were injured in the strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia used more than 450 drones and 30 long-range missiles to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure across the country. He added that at least nine Ukrainian regions experienced blackouts.
“It is precisely the civilian and energy infrastructure that is the main target of Russia’s strikes ahead of the heating season,” Mr. Zelenskyy wrote Friday on the social media platform X.
He also used the attacks to call for more decisive assistance from Ukraine’s western allies, adding that Ukraine’s current air defenses cannot withstand similar air attacks by Russia on a regular basis.
The barrage comes as Russia begins a more focused assault on Ukraine’s energy grid. Last week, Ukrainian authorities reported Russian drone and missile strikes had caused significant damage to several of its fuel production facilities.
Ukraine, for its part, is likely looking to launch similar attacks on Russia’s energy grid as winter approaches. Kyiv is patiently awaiting news on the delivery of advanced, long-range Tomahawk missiles from the U.S., which would make it much easier for Ukrainian forces to hit Russian oil production.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.