Russia 'violently attacks' Ukraine's energy infrastructure

"Energy infrastructure has been attacked again by the enemy. Energy facilities across Ukraine have become targets of Russia," Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko announced on November 28.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command said Russia launched 97 Geran and unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 85 Kh-101 and Kalibr cruise missiles, three Kh-59/69 missiles and three S-300 missiles. The attack targeted a series of urban areas, including the capital Kiev, the eastern city of Kharkov and the Black Sea port city of Odessa.

Ukrainian air defense announced shooting down 76 Kh-101 and Kalibr missiles, 3 Kh-59/69 missiles and 35 UAVs, losing track of 62 other aircraft.

Ukrenergo, the company that operates Ukraine's electricity grid, had to cut off power in several provinces, including Kiev, Odessa, Dnipro and Donetsk. "We will announce the consequences of the raids when the security situation allows," Mr. Galushchenko said.

A Ukrainian energy industry source said Russia “hit hard and used a lot of cluster munitions” in the attack. Ukrainian officials said at least 1 million people in the west of the country were without power.

Russia has not commented on the above information.

Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, said Russia had stockpiled missiles to target the country's infrastructure, and vowed that Ukraine would respond.

A senior UN official has previously warned that Russia's attack on energy infrastructure could leave Ukraine facing "the harshest winter since the war began".

The attack came after the Russian Defense Ministry admitted that Ukraine had launched ATACMS missiles at several military facilities in Kursk province, vowing to retaliate. Ukraine has used US missiles to attack Russian territory at least three times after Washington gave Kiev the green light.

Russia launched the Oreshnik missile last week in response to Ukraine’s use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow/SCALP EG missiles across the border. The target of the attack was the Southern Machine-Building Plant (Yuzhmash), a Ukrainian facility that produces rocket launchers, ballistic missiles, and liquid rocket fuel.