Russia hits Ukrainian energy sites in massive attack
KYIV—Russia launched a massive missile strike at Ukraine overnight, damaging four power plants in the latest barrage targeting the country’s energy supply, officials in Kyiv said on Saturday.
On Friday, Ukraine warned that Moscow was ramping up attacks on railways in a bid to disrupt military supplies ahead of a fresh Russian offensive while Kyiv waits for new US weapon deliveries.
Kyiv fears Russia is seeking to press its advantage on the battlefield ahead of symbolic May 9 Victory Day celebrations, as both sides continued to launch deadly cross border strikes.
A Ukrainian security source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Russia wanted to damage Ukrainian railway infrastructure to “paralyze deliveries and movement of military cargo” as Moscow prepares to advance.Power rationing
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Kyiv’s Western partners to supply more air defense systems to protect his country’s skies, as the air force said it had shot down 21 of 34 incoming missiles.
Moscow has launched some of its biggest ever strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities in recent months. They have knocked out a significant chunk of production, triggering blackouts and energy rationing across the country.
Ukraine also said it hit two oil refineries and a military air base in southern Russia in its own wave of overnight drone attacks.
“Thirty-four Russian missiles overnight,” Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.
“We managed to shoot down some of them. But the world has every opportunity to help [us] shoot down every missile and every drone.”
‘As soon as possible’
In his evening speech on Saturday, he repeated his call for Patriot missile-defense systems “as soon as possible.” “It is still possible to provide the required quantity and quality of air defense systems,” he added. “We must not waste time.”
Energy facilities were hit in at least three regions—including Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west, hundreds of kilometers from the front line—Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko said in a Facebook post.
One of the missiles landed 15 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.The DTEK power operator said equipment at four of its thermal power plants had been “severely damaged” in the overnight strikes.
Officials urged people and businesses to limit their power usage.
