Russia strikes Ukraine energy grid, one death reported

Officials said that Russia had launched a barrage overnight of drones and rockets against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, forcing power restrictions across the country and killing a person in Zaporizhzhia.

As the winter months approach, Prime Minister Yulia svyrydenko said that Moscow was targeting Ukrainians and their power supplies.

"Its aim is to plunge Ukraine in darkness." Svyrydenko stated on Telegram that "ours is to maintain the light." To stop the terror we need to increase air defence systems, tighten sanctions and put maximum pressure on the aggressor.

Moscow has denied that it is targeting civilians, and said its strikes were in response to Ukraine's attacks against Russian infrastructure. Ukraine is regularly using drones to attack military and oil sites in its fight against Russia's nearly four-year-old occupation.

There have been hits

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said that Russia had launched over 650 drones as well as 50 missiles in the past 24 hours. He wrote on X that "many were shot down but there have unfortunately been hits."

Officials from Ukraine said that the attacks targeted energy facilities in the central, western, and southern regions.

The Energy Ministry announced nationwide limitations on electricity supply to industrial and retail consumers. In some areas, heating and water supply were also affected.

Officials from the region said that two energy plants in the western Lviv area had been damaged. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy firm, reported that its thermal power plants in several regions had been attacked.

Ivan Fedorov said that six children and one adult were killed in the strikes on Zaporizhzhia's industrial city, located in the south-eastern part of the country.

He added that the attacks had damaged five apartment buildings and infrastructure. Stress, injuries, concussions and bruises can cause acute reactions in people.

The state-owned railway Ukrzaliznytsia has reported that power outages in the southern region Mykolaiv have delayed trains. (Reporting and editing by Andrew Heavens, Anastasiia malenko, Olena harmash)

(source: Reuters)