More than a million Ukrainians were left without power on Thursday as frigid temperatures set in, following a large-scale missile and drone assault by Russian forces. This attack marks yet another escalation in the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its third year.
Emergency blackouts swept across the nation due to extensive damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of the Yasno energy supplier, confirmed the widespread outages, stating, “There is no end in sight.” President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, characterized the assaults as a continuation of Russian terror tactics aimed at plunging civilians into darkness and depriving them of heat during the coldest months.
The coordinated strikes, which targeted various regions including Lviv, Rivne, and Volyn, left hundreds of thousands without electricity. As regional authorities assessed the damage, Lviv reported approximately 523,000 outages, while Rivne and Volyn reported 280,000 and 215,000, respectively.
The energy ministry indicated that this was the 11th major Russian attack on Ukraine’s civilian energy network this year. Recovery efforts are underway, although progress is contingent on the security situation. Energy Minister German Galushchenko confirmed the facilities were under “massive enemy attack” as temperatures plummeted to around 0 degrees Celsius.
UN officials warn that ongoing assaults on energy infrastructure may render this winter the harshest since the conflict began. As both sides prepare for intensified combat, concerns grow over the geopolitical implications of the war, particularly with the impending change in U.S. leadership.
As tensions rise, the situation remains precarious, with potential repercussions for both military strategy and civilian safety as Ukraine braces for one of its toughest winters yet.
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