Russia launched over 70 missiles and over 100 kamikaze drones at Ukraine's energy system, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, describing his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's similar attack on Mount Rozhdestvennoy as "inhuman", BTA reported.
"Today, Putin deliberately chose Nativity of Christ for his attack. What could be more inhuman than that? Over 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and over 100 attack drones. The target is our energy system," Zelensky said in the "Telegram" application. According to him, Ukrainian air defenses shot down over 50 Russian drones, but he added that the strikes caused damage and several regions were left in the dark due to the attack. "The target is our energy system. They continue to fight to keep Ukraine in the dark," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook today that Russia was "massively attacking the country's energy sector," Reuters reported. Shortly after, Ukraine's largest private electricity supplier, DTEK, said Russian forces had struck its power plants this morning, causing serious damage.
"This is the 13th large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy sector and the 10th on the company's energy facilities," DTEK wrote on the Telegram app. Galushchenko said the company, which operates the power grid, had limited power supply to reduce the damage. Russia stepped up attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the spring, damaging nearly half of the power grid, leaving the entire country without power for long periods, the world agency noted.