Russian attacks force power cuts in Ukraine 

Ukraine has implemented power cuts as a Russian air barrage targeted critical energy infrastructure.

Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo introduced emergency power cuts in six regions on Wednesday amid a nationwide air raid alert. Russia has targeted Ukraine’s energy resources in the winter months throughout its three-year war on its neighbour.

Moscow’s military launched dozens of missiles and drones at the Ukrainian energy sector on Wednesday, local authorities reported.

“Another massive Russian attack,” announced President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media. “It’s the middle of winter, and the target for the Russians remains unchanged: our energy infrastructure. Among their objectives were gas and energy facilities that sustain normal life for our people.

He said that Ukrainian forces had brought down more than 30 of 40 missiles, with more than 70 drones also launched against the country overnight.

“Critical infrastructure facilities were targeted in Prykarpattia,” the regional governor of the western Ivano-Frankivsk region noted.

Authorities in the nearby Lviv region, which borders EU and NATO member Poland, said critical infrastructure facilities had been hit in the Drohobych and Stryi districts.

“Fortunately, there were no casualties, but there was damage,” Governor Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on social media.

Ukrenergo introduced power cuts in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions as the attack unfolded.

Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on social media that “preventative measures” involving the distribution system were also in force.

Russia has carried out regular air strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid as its ground forces press to advance the front line in the east of the country.

Kyiv continues to press for greater military support to help it repel the bombardment.

“We must continue strengthening the capabilities of Ukraine’s air shield,” Zelenksyy said on social media as he issued another call on NATO members to provide more help.

“Promises made by partners at the NATO summit in Washington and within the Ramstein format still remain partially unfulfilled. We’ve also discussed licenses for the production of air defense systems and missiles for them, which could serve as one of the effective security guarantees for Ukraine.”

The Russian barrage came a day after Kyiv carried out its largest ever aerial attack on Russia, targeting military facilities, industry and energy hubs.

Moscow had complained that Ukraine had used United States and British-supplied missiles for one of the strikes and promised it would “not go unanswered”.