Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters
More than a million households in Ukraine were left without power after a “massive enemy attack” overnight by Russia, targeting critical energy infrastructure facilities, CNN reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Thursday that the air assault was in response to Ukrainian strikes in Russian territory using US-made ATACMS missiles. However, Putin only announced Russia hit 17 targets that were “military facilities, defense industry facilities and their support systems.” He reportedly did not acknowledge the attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. Thursday’s strike was Russia’s 11th large-scale assault on Ukraine’s energy supplies in 2024 alone, according to the energy ministry in Kyiv. Russian bombardments have intensified in recent months, leaving Ukraine in a vulnerable position as the war enters its third winter. Thursday’s assault included about 100 drones and more than 90 missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. This comes two days after Russia launched a record 188 drones at Ukraine on Tuesday, damaging critical infrastructure in the west of the country, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
