Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid in response to Kyiv’s increased strikes on oil refineries
The recent bombardments are seen as a form of ‘retaliation’ by Moscow in response to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
This week, Ukrainian power grid faced renewed attacks from Russian forces, utilizing missiles and drones to target energy facilities far beyond the frontline.
“Yet another severe attack on our energy sector,” remarked German Galushchenko, Ukraine’s energy minister, in a social media post.
Reports from Mr. Galushchenko indicate that major power stations in regions like Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Vinnytsia were hit.
On May 8, Russian missiles and drones targeted nearly a dozen energy facilities in Ukraine, resulting in significant damage and widespread power outages.
Ukrainian officials stated that three Soviet-era thermal power plants suffered damage from the repeated assaults.
Following wartime protocol, Kyiv did not disclose specific names or locations of the struck energy facilities.
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Shortly after the attacks, Ukrenergo, the national power grid operator of Ukraine, outlined plans to conserve electricity in nine regions across the country.
“Several crucial power stations have suffered damage,” quoted company CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi in local media reports.
“The scope of the damage is considerable,” he mentioned. “There has been a notable decline in power generation.”
As per Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s interior minister, multiple individuals incurred injuries from repeated strikes in the Kyiv region.
Besides energy infrastructure, numerous residences, public transport vehicles, and a fire station were impacted by the assaults, as stated by the minister.
Confirmations of the strikes were later provided by Russia’s defense ministry.
“The Russian Armed Forces carried out a coordinated strike this morning utilizing sea and air-launched precision weapons … targeting Ukrainian energy sites and military-industrial facilities,” the defense ministry detailed in a statement on May 8.
The ministry disclosed that Russian forces employed combat drones and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to hit specific targets.
“The objectives of the strike were successfully met,” they remarked. “All designated targets were eliminated.”
According to the defense ministry, the coordinated strike “significantly impaired Ukraine’s capacity to manufacture military equipment and deploy armaments supplied from Western sources to the frontline.”
Since October of the preceding year, Russian forces have executed frequent attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, leading to recurrent blackouts and energy disruptions.
Kyiv asserts that these attacks aim to intensify pressure on the civilian populace and should hence be considered as Russian “war crimes.”
On the other hand, Moscow contends that it uses precise weapons to minimize civilian casualties and that the strikes serve solely military objectives.
Russian Refineries Targeted
Russia’s defense ministry stated that the recent strikes were executed as “retaliation for the Kyiv regime’s recent efforts to harm Russia’s energy facilities.”
Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has intensified attacks on oil refineries situated within Russian territory, resulting in varying degrees of damage.
Kyiv claims that Russian oil refineries assist in fueling the ongoing invasion of eastern Ukraine, now in its third year, justifying them as legitimate targets.
On May 9, the governor of Russia’s Bashkiria region announced that a large petrochemical plant was operational again following strikes from Ukrainian drones.
Reports in the Russian media indicated that the attack on the plant caused damage to a pumping station but did not result in casualties.
Simultaneously, a drone attack damaged several storage tanks and triggered a fire at a fuel depot in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, as per local authorities.
The same facility was targeted by Ukrainian drones towards the end of the previous month, leading to significant damage and temporary cessation of operations.
As noted by a NATO official cited by Reuters, the continuous strikes on Russian energy facilities may have reduced the country’s total oil-refining capacity by up to 15 percent.
“Fewer and fewer of these Russian energy infrastructures are deemed safe from possible strikes,” the official remarked.
In early 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine with the purported aim of safeguarding Russian speakers in the eastern region of the country and impeding further expansion by NATO.
Seven months later, Moscow effectively annexed four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine, now recognized as Russian Federation territory.
Backed by formidable Western allies, Kyiv remains resolute in combating the superior Russian forces until all lost territories are reclaimed.
Reuters contributed to this report.
