“The enemy does not give up on its plans to deprive Ukrainians of light. Yet another mass attack on our energy industryThe attacks targeted electricity production and transportation facilities in the regions of Poltava (east), Kirovograd (center), Zaporizhia (south), Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia (west).“, wrote Ukrainian Energy Minister Guerman Galushchenko on Telegram.
The southern city of Kherson was also “partially deprived of electricity” due to “enemy attacks”, said governor Oleksandre Prokoudine.
The national electricity company Ukrenergo warned that “from 18:00 to 23:00 (local time), power cuts may occur throughout Ukraine”. The company asked its customers to “use electricity sparingly” to face what is expected to be a “particularly difficult” situation.
“You Russians dealt a new massive blow to thermal and hydroelectric power plants”, lamented the operator, adding that this was the fifth “massive” attack on the power grid since the beginning of the year.
The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down 39 of the 55 missiles launched by Russia, as well as 20 of the 21 drones of attack.
According to DTEK, the largest private investor in Ukraine’s energy sector, three thermal power plants were “severely damaged”. The company added that its facilities have been bombed around 180 times since the start of the war in February 2022, including five times in the last six weeks.
Russia has been bombing Ukraine’s energy grid for months, causing considerable damage and widespread power outages.
Targeted railway infrastructures
According to the military administration of the city of Kiev, Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers fired several cruise missiles at the capital, which was placed on high alert for three hours. All missiles were shot down, he added.
Railway infrastructure was also hit in the Kherson region.
Rail infrastructure is particularly vital in Ukraine, where all civilian air traffic has been paralyzed since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
“The rails were damaged,” explained Governor Oleksandre Prokoudine, adding that traffic on one of the lines was restricted.
Russia has recently intensified its attacks on Ukrainian railways, which are essential for trade, civil transport and military supplies.
Attacking the railways could impede the supply of military material, particularly from the West.
Zelensky denounces Russian terror
Kiev alleges that Moscow intensified its air and ground attacks in the run-up to the national celebrations of May 9, the date on which Russia celebrates victory in World War II, and to take advantage of the shortage of weapons in Ukraine, which is awaiting the arrival of supplies of crucial weapons, notably from the United States.
On Wednesday, May 8, “the day to celebrate the victory against Nazism during World War II, Putin, the Nazi, launched a massive attack against Ukraine”, accused Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The world should not give the new Nazism the slightest chance”, defended the Ukrainian president, appealing to his allies to provide more military aid.
w/ international agencies
