Russian Strikes on Energy Infrastructure Leave Most of Ukraine Without Power

Ukraine told its Western backers last week that it might not be able to recover from more strikes on its power grid

Russian missiles pounded energy infrastructure across Ukraine again on Wednesday, leaving most Ukrainians without power, according to the country’s Energy Ministry.

“Today’s missile attack led to a temporary blackout of all nuclear, most thermal, and hydroelectric power plants. Power transmission facilities were also hit,” the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said, according to Interfax Ukraine.

The ministry said that as a result, the “vast majority” of electricity consumers in Ukraine are facing outages and emergency blackouts. It said that work was being done to repair the blackouts but said that it will take time.

Moldova also experienced blackouts as a result of the strikes, as much of its energy infrastructure is connected with Ukraine’s. “We have massive power outages across the country,” said Moldova’s Infrastructure Minister  Andrei Spinu, according to The Associated Press.

Last week, Ukraine’s prime minister said Russian missile strikes across Ukraine disabled nearly half of the country’s energy infrastructure, and Kyiv reportedly told its Western backers that it might not be able to recover from more Russian strikes on the power grid.

Russia had previously avoided the large-scale targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure but began employing the tactic in October after the truck bombing of the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea to the Russian mainland.

The Russian attacks have left Ukrainian civilians in a desperate situation as they cannot power or heat their homes as winter is approaching and temperatures continue to drop. The head of YASNO, a private energy provider in Ukraine, said that Ukrainians will most likely have to live with blackouts until the end of March.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.