The Russian army launched a massive airstrike against Ukraine, targeting its energy infrastructure, that led to power disruptions throughout the country. The series of airstrikes happened on Thursday and led to country-wide power failure, resulting in the temperature dropping to freezing levels. The airstrikes are considered part of Russia’s ongoing strategy to weaken Ukraine’s resilience.
The massive airstrikes, which primarily targeted Ukraine’s energy grid, are part of Russia’s “terror” tactics, as alleged by Ukraine. Since February 2022, Russia has repeatedly launched aerial attacks against energy installations across Ukraine. This has plunged the cities into darkness again and again, leaving the civilians to fend for themselves in the biting winter.
Massive Airstrikes Disrupt Power Nationwide
The airstrike was confirmed by Ukraine’s Energy Minister, German Galushchenko, who confirmed that the power infrastructure had come “under massive enemy attack” after a nationwide alert was sounded. This statement was backed by the Ukrainian Air Force, which reported a string of Russian cruise missiles and attack drones heading to various cities in the country. As per these reports, these missiles and drones were headed to the capital Kyiv, and the cities of Kharkiv and Odesa.
Counter-measures Taken By The Country
The Energy Minister further added that the national grid operator, Ukrenergo, has implemented emergency power cuts to mitigate the damage done by these airstrikes. However, the power across the country would be disrupted as a result. The energy provider DTEK also announced that the emergency outage will further affect key regions, including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Donetsk.
Escalating Hostilities, Stockpiling Missiles, and Hypersonic Threats
Ukraine’s Head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak accused the enemy of stockpiling missiles to continue its “terror tactics,” and that Russia is not likely to stop targeting civilian infrastructure. He then reinforced President Volodymyr Zelensky’s resolve to respond decisively to any threats to the country.
The recent increase in hostilities has also sparked new debate across the globe as many nations are concerned about the impact of these massive airstrikes. A senior UN official, Rosemary DiCarlo, remarked how a power outage can make winters much harsher for Ukrainians.
These airstrikes are likely to be the retaliation that Russia warned about earlier this week. On November 25th, Ukraine, for the first time, successfully targeted a Russian Military Airbase, using the US-sanctioned ATACMS missiles. Once the U.S. approved the use of ATACMS missiles against Russia, Ukraine carried out three such attacks. This resulted in Russia launching a hypersonic ballistic missile at Dnipro.
Following the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin also warned Western nations to stop aiding Ukraine as its hypersonic missiles are also capable of carrying nuclear-tipped missiles if the need arises.
Shifts in U.S. Policy on Ukraine
The recent airstrike came just one day after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump appointed long-time loyalist, and retired General, Keith Kellogg, as his new Ukraine envoy. Kellogg is supposed to mandate an end to the ongoing conflict. However, recent hostilities have surely made his job harder.
President-elect Trump has advocated for a rapid resolution to the war and has even pledged to broker a ceasefire deal. This has caused some concern among Ukrainian officials, as they fear they might have to make territorial concessions under U.S. pressure. This is in grave departure to the Biden administration, who, in its last months, have urged Ukraine to address personnel shortage in the army by lowering the conscription age to 18.
What Lies Ahead?
Over the last few months, Russia has been gaining significantly in Eastern Ukraine, relying on its superior manpower and ammunition supplies. The massive airstrikes are, but a tactic to exploit winter conditions to pressure Ukraine. On the contrary, Ukraine has shown resilience and vowed to respond accordingly.
