Russia launches ‘massive’ strike against Ukraine’s electrical grid

Russian forces fired more than 50 missiles and explosive drones at Ukraine’s power grid at night. This was a big attack on the day Ukraine celebrates the defeat of Nazism in World War II, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The bombing hit areas in seven parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv and some areas in the south and west. It damaged homes and the country’s train system, according to officials. Officials say three people, including a little girl who is 8 years old, got hurt.

Russia has often attacked Ukraine’s energy systems during the war, which has been going on for three years and has caused the deaths of thousands of people. The Kremlin’s forces want to cut off the power supply to Ukrainian factories, especially those that make weapons, to weaken the country and make its people feel hopeless.

Officials say that the Russian attacks have caused a lot of damage to almost half of Ukraine’s power infrastructure since February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Andrii Herus, the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Energy and Housing Services, says that the total damage is $12.5 billion, and $1 billion of that happened in the last two weeks.

The heavy attacks use up Ukraine’s air defenses ammo. They need more support from Western countries. Ukraine officials are asking for more air defense systems like the Patriots that NATO uses.

Zelenskyy said that the attacks happened on a special day for Ukraine and compared the country’s current struggle to World War II. He said on social media that only a united world can stop Putin. Ukraine decided to change the date of the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism so it wouldn’t be on the same day as Russia’s Victory Day on May 9.

Russia severely damaged Ukraine’s energy system during the “blackout winter” of 2022-23. In March, some attacks happened, and one of them completely destroyed a big power plant near Kyiv.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin said the attacks were because Ukraine had attacked Russian oil refineries first. On Wednesday, there was an attack on an oil terminal in Ukraine. Five workers got hurt and a fire started. The authorities in the Luhansk region, which is partly controlled by Russia, said this.

Russian attacks have been happening less often lately, but Ukrainian officials think that Russia is gathering supplies for a big attack that could happen soon.

The front line, which is 1,000 kilometers long, has not changed much since the beginning of the war. However, Russia has been making some small but steady progress in certain areas as Ukraine faces a lack of soldiers and not enough weapons to fight back.

The company that manages the country’s electrical grid, Ukrenergo, said that the power facilities in Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Poltava, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were damaged.

Two power plants were attacked in the Lviv region, which is in the far west of the country and far away from where the fighting is happening, the regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said.

DTEK, the largest private energy supplier in Ukraine, said that the attack caused significant damage to equipment at three of its thermal power plants.

DTEK said the company’s facilities have been attacked five times in the past six weeks. Since February 2022, Russia’s invasion has attacked the company’s assets about 180 times, hurting 51 workers and killing three.

Russia fired 55 missiles and 21 Shahed drones last night, according to the Ukrainian air force. Ukrainian air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that their defenses stopped 39 missiles and 20 drones.

The railway station in Kherson was damaged by Russian forces, and the train tracks were also affected, according to Ukrzaliznytsia, the national railway operator.

On Wednesday, an attack happened at a school in northeastern Kharkiv, and five people, including three children, were hurt. Governor Oleh Syniehubov shared the news on social media. The Mayor of the city, Ihor Terekhov, said that one of the kids was very sick and needs urgent help.