Largest Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with 100 missiles fired

Only a few days after Ukraine celebrated the liberation of Kherson in the war against Russian invaders, Russia mercilessly fired 100 missiles against 11 different locations in Ukraine on November 15.

According to Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, the torrent of Russian missile strikes is the biggest Moscow assault on the Ukrainian electrical infrastructure since the war began. To stabilize the operation of the electricity system, Ukrenergo, the state-owned grid operator in Ukraine, was compelled to take urgent action and implement emergency blackouts throughout the whole nation.

15 energy facilities were damaged by the Russian missiles

According to Ukrainska Pravda, 15 energy facilities were damaged by the missiles, and explosions were heard in over half of Ukraine, including the provinces of Lviv, Kyiv, Rivne, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipro, and Khmelnytskyi.

Moscow’s efforts to deprive Ukraine of heat have reached a breaking point with 7 million people left without power at nighttime when the temperature lows around freezing. Over 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has already been damaged by earlier Russian missile attacks over the past month, increasing the possibility of additional civilian fatalities once winter arrives.

Russian missiles hit residential buildings in Kyiv

According to Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, missiles struck residential buildings in addition to infrastructure during the strikes. Three residential buildings in Kyiv were damaged. According to Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, rescue workers examining the scene found a deceased man’s body in the Pechersky neighborhood in the city center. There was no electricity in half of the city all night.

Ukraine’s air defense systems intercepted 70 missiles

According to the Ukrainian government, Ukraine’s air defense systems successfully intercepted 70 missiles. Russian troops allegedly planned to launch “repeated massive attacks” against Ukrainian infrastructure to spread panic and chaos, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Moldova and Poland suffered too

Large-scale strikes like these also led to outages in Moldova, a neighboring country. The Isaccea-Vulcanesti electricity line was automatically disconnected as a safety measure, according to Moldovia’s deputy prime minister Andrei Spinu, which resulted in power outages throughout the nation, including in the capital Chisinau, where trolleybuses reportedly ceased operating.

In addition, two rockets landed in Przewdów in Poland, close to the Ukrainian border, killed two people. To discuss the incident, the Polish government has convened a meeting.

Russia launched a massive missile attack after its defeat in Kherson

The most recent assaults happened just days after Russian troops left Kherson, dealing Moscow a huge military defeat and giving Ukraine a major military win. The Russian missile strikes have confirmed the Kremlin’s readiness to use cruel and illegal methods to get achievements in its war of aggression against Ukraine. And the hopes for successful peace talks amidst the G20 summit vanished.

Hopes for successful peace talks vanished

“Right now, Russian missiles are destroying infrastructure and murdering people throughout Ukraine. This is Russia’s position on the subject of negotiations for peace. Stop urging Ukraine to comply with Russian demands! In response to the attacks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba posted on Twitter, “This terror can only be stopped by the power of our weapons & principles.

Zelensky: It’s time to stop Russia’s devastating war

Hours before the strike, Zelensky spoke to the G20 via video chat, saying: “Now is the time to stop Russia’s devastating war.” Although he referred to the failed Minsk agreements to halt the War in Donbas, he claimed that Ukraine would not accept a Minsk 3 agreement. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is ready for peace, but peace for all of its territories, meaning Ukraine will continue to liberate its occupied area, during his visit to freed Kherson on November 14.

“We respect both international law and each state’s right to sovereignty, which is what we are discussing right now. We are battling against Russian aggression because of this”, Zelensky said. “The borders of other nations don’t interest us. The liberation of our land and our regions is the only thing in which we are interested.”

Russia has been bombarding Ukraine’s energy facilities for more than one month

On October 10, Russia launched its first devastating attacks against Ukraine’s energy facilities, and since then, transformers, fuses, and power cables have all been damaged across the entire country. As a result, Ukraine, suffering from Russia’s invasion and war, is currently testing the import of electricity after being compelled to cease electrical exports to the EU. To “lower the pressure on the network,” the Ukrainian government has ordered citizens to use less electricity.

Deliberate infrastructure destruction is a war crime – Ukraine and its allies

Targeting infrastructure, according to Ukraine and its allies, is a war crime, especially as winter draws near and civilians worry they would struggle during the colder months and at a freezing temperatures without electricity and heating.

“They have two goals. Energy facilities across the whole country. They want to destroy our energy grid and spread panic and chaos. The other goal is people. In response to the first wave of attacks, on October 10, Zelensky said, “They have chosen the moment and targets to damage as much as possible.

Read also: How the war in Ukraine could end: views in the West

Scroll to Top