The energy war between Russia and Ukraine is intensifying, with significant attacks on infrastructure causing widespread damage. On Thursday night, Russia launched massive attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, significantly damaging a thermal power plant and injuring seven people. Energy supplier DTEK reported that this was the seventh attack on Ukrainian energy plants in the past three months.
The national grid operator, Ukrenergo, stated that facilities in the Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Kyiv regions were damaged. In the Vinnytsia region, more than 200,000 people were cut off from electricity. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia fired nine missiles and 27 Iranian-made attack drones, with air defense systems shooting down all but four of the missiles.
Russia has been regularly attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the invasion began in February 2022, leading to repeated power outages and energy shortages. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that the country could only produce half as much electricity as it did last year. In response, Ukraine has targeted Russian regions, particularly oil storage facilities, with drones.
Meanwhile, Romania, a NATO member, has promised to deliver a Patriot air defense system to Ukraine. This system is expected to bolster Ukraine's defense against Russian air attacks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Romania for its support, calling the additional Patriot system a decisive contribution against Russian air terror.
In addition to energy infrastructure attacks, the Russian army attacked the Donetsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions, resulting in civilian casualties. In Donetsk, four civilians were killed and four others injured. In Kherson, two people were killed and three others injured, while in Kharkiv, a woman died from Russian shelling.
Amidst these developments, the EU has approved a new package of sanctions against Russia, targeting the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and tightening existing sanctions. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed this decision, stating that it would further deprive Russia of access to key technologies and additional energy-related revenues.
- One of the employees at a damaged facility in Vinnytsia was seriously injured, and a maintenance technician and his colleagues were injured while repairing a power line in Donetsk. Air defense systems were also activated in the regions of Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Kyiv.
- Local officials in Russia reported fires in oil refineries in the southern Caucasus Republic of Adygea and the Tambov region, with a woman killed in the southern Krasnador region. Ukrainian intelligence sources indicated that the attacks were carried out by the domestic intelligence service SBU.
- The EU's new sanctions package, the 14th since the war began, includes measures to prevent EU member countries from circumventing sanctions and continuing to buy Russian LNG. The previous package, introduced in February, targeted Chinese, Indian, Turkish, and Serbian companies contributing to the Russian war effort.
- Interactive maps of the front line in Ukraine show where Russian troops have advanced and where Ukraine has pushed back Russian attacks. These maps provide an insight into the latest developments in the ongoing conflict.
