KYIV: Russian forces struck another gas production facility in eastern Ukraine early Thursday, forcing its closure in another large-scale bombardment to pile pressure on the energy network.
Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has attacked Ukrainian power infrastructure each winter, forcing Kyiv to impose emergency blackouts and import energy from abroad.
DTEK, the country’s largest private energy provider, announced on social media that gas production facilities in the Poltava region were shut down due to the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia overnight launched more than 300 attack drones, including some carrying cluster munitions, and 37 missiles.
He stated that Russians use every single day this autumn to strike at Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The Ukrainian energy grid operator announced emergency power outages in eight regions after Thursday’s strikes.
Media reports earlier suggested around 60% of Ukrainian gas production had been halted in recent Russian strikes.
Attacks on power stations have cut hundreds of thousands of people in the country from electricity.
The early morning attack also came one day after state-owned energy company Naftogaz said one of its thermal plants was damaged in a Russian attack on the northeastern Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernigiv regions.
The Kremlin claims its forces only target military facilities.
The International Criminal Court last year issued arrest warrants for two top Russian army officials over the attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities.
The court said these attacks constitute a “war crime” and had inflicted “excessive” harm to civilians.
Kyiv has been appealing to its allies for more air defence systems to protect critical infrastructure.
Ukraine has also launched retaliatory strikes on Russia’s oil refineries. – AFP
