- Author, Ian Casey
- Role, BBC News
Russia has launched a “massive” early morning missile and drone attack on energy facilities across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
More than 50 missiles and 20 drones were used in the attack, Mr Zelensky said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It marks the latest in a string of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, which Moscow insists is a legitimate military target.
The strikes targeted seven regions across the country and took place on a major national holiday commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War 2.
Writing on social media, Mr Zelensky drew parallels between the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime as “Moscow Nazis”.
“Russia has brought pages from World War II textbooks back into the global media spotlight, demonstrating that Nazism has resurfaced with each new crime,” Mr Zelensky wrote.
“This time, it simply has a new label: ‘Made in Russia.'”
According to Ukraine’s largest energy provider, DTEK, at least three thermal powerplants were “seriously damaged” in Wednesday’s attack, the fifth on the company’s facilities in six weeks.
Ukraine’s energy ministry said that there “may be limitations to energy supply” for industrial consumers between 1800 (1600 BST) and 2300 as a result of the attack.
The strikes focused on key energy and transport sites in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv, Ukrainian officials said, adding that Soviet-era powerplants and gas storage facilities were among the targets.
“The enemy has not abandoned plans to deprive Ukrainians of light” Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said two people in Kyiv were injured in the attacks, while one child in the Kirovhrad region was also hurt.
Despite the damage, Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted dozens of missiles and 20 of 21 Iranian-made Shahed drones fired towards the country.
The strikes are the latest in an escalating Russian campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy grid that began in March. Waves of attacks have forced authorities in Ukraine to impose rolling blackouts in several regions.
On 11 April, a powerplant in Kyiv managed by Centrenergo – a major Ukrainian energy company – was destroyed, with chairman Andriy Hota saying calling the scale of the destruction “terrifying”.
At the time of the attack in April Mr Putin said: “I want to emphasise that, even for humanitarian reasons, we did not carry out any strikes in winter. What I mean is that we didn’t want to leave social institutions without power – hospitals and the like. But after a series of attacks on our power facilities, we had to respond.”
Experts say the true impact of the Russian attacks may not be felt until annual energy consumption peaks in the winter.
Ukraine has carried out a series of attacks on Russian oil depots, with the most recent taking place on a Russian-controlled site in Luhansk on Wednesday morning.
Elsewhere, border officials in Poland said they had detained a deserter from the Russian military as he crossed into the country from Belarus.
Authorities said the 41-year-old man would face further action in the coming days. National broadcaster RMF FM radio reported that he was dressed in civilian clothes and was unarmed when detained.
The outlet added that he had been carrying Russian military papers when arrested.