Russian Strike Devastates Ukraine Power Plant, Escalating Winter Energy War
Russia’s attack cripples Ukraine’s energy grid, threatening a harsh winter.
A devastating Russian strike has severely damaged a major Ukrainian thermal power plant, escalating Moscow’s campaign to plunge Ukraine into darkness and cold as winter approaches. The overnight assault, reported by DTEK, Ukraine’s largest electricity provider, left two workers injured and significantly impaired the nation’s power infrastructure. Specific details about the plant’s location remain undisclosed to prevent Russia from gaining strategic insights.
The attack is part of a broader Russian strategy to target Ukraine’s energy sector, a critical battleground since the invasion began over three years ago. With winter—spanning late October to March and peaking in January and February—fast approaching, Russia aims to disrupt heat, electricity, and water supplies, a tactic Ukraine has condemned as “weaponizing winter” to break public morale and hinder military production. Repair crews are working tirelessly to restore damaged infrastructure, but the relentless Russian assaults pose an ongoing challenge.
In Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, the town of Shostka has been particularly hard-hit. Local authorities have set up emergency tents to provide residents with warmth, hot tea, phone charging stations, and psychological support. Regional head Oleh Hryhorov shared images on Telegram of residents cooking over open fires in makeshift outdoor kitchens, highlighting the dire situation. Shostka’s mayor, Mykola Noha, announced 11 locations across the town where locals can access food and tea, urging them to bring their own dishes.
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The Russian barrage also targeted energy facilities in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv, southern Kherson, and southeastern Dnipropetrovsk regions, further straining the country’s power grid. Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting or jamming 154 of the 183 Russian strike and decoy drones launched overnight, showcasing the intensity of the aerial assault.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is striking back, launching long-range attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, causing power outages in several Russian border regions. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed 53 Ukrainian drones over nine regions overnight. In Russia’s Belgorod region, Ukrainian rocket attacks killed three people and injured one, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, who noted prior attacks had already disrupted power supplies.
As both sides target each other’s energy systems, the escalating tit-for-tat strikes threaten to deepen the humanitarian crisis, particularly for Ukrainian civilians facing a grueling winter with limited access to heat and electricity.
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