Ukraine says Russia damaged 4 power plants in “massive” attack overnight

Kyiv:

Officials in Kiev said Saturday that Russia launched a “massive” missile attack on Ukraine overnight, damaging four power plants in the latest barrage targeting the country’s energy supply.

Moscow has launched the largest-ever attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities in recent months, destroying a significant portion of production, and triggering blackouts and energy rationing across the country.

Ukraine also fired more than 60 drones over southern Russia overnight, Moscow said, in one of the largest overnight drone attacks ever. Kiev claimed to have targeted two oil refineries and a military airport.

“The Russian armed forces launched another major missile attack on Ukraine,” the Ukrainian military said in its regular morning update.

Energy Minister German Galushchenko said in a Facebook post, “The enemy has once again attacked the country’s energy infrastructure. In particular, facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions were attacked. Equipment was damaged. Is.”

The Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions are in the west of Ukraine, bordering the European Union and hundreds of kilometers from the front line.

Ukraine’s air force said Moscow fired 34 missiles, of which 21 were shot down.

Kiev says Moscow is stepping up its air and ground strikes ahead of nationwide celebrations on May 9, when Russia will celebrate victory in World War II, and while Ukraine awaits the arrival of vital US weapons.

– Energy rationing –

DTEK power operator said equipment at four of its thermal power plants was “severely damaged” in the attacks overnight.

State electricity operator Ukrainergo said it had cut its main overhead power line in the west of the country as a precaution.

Authorities asked energy users to limit their electricity usage.

“We ask all consumers to minimize electricity consumption. Industry is asked to maximize electricity imports and use alternative power sources,” Ukrainergo said in a statement.

The head of the western Lviv region called on residents not to use kettles, irons, washing machines and microwaves between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm to conserve limited energy supplies.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Services Agency said one person was killed in separate shelling Saturday in a village near the Russian border in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Ukraine’s national police said one person was also killed and eight were wounded in the shelling in the southern Kherson region.

Regional governor Sergiy Lysak said missile attacks overnight wounded two people in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, and emergency services said one person was wounded in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

– 68 drones were shot down –

Ukraine also launched its own major drone attack on Russia’s southern Krasnodar region overnight.

A Ukrainian defense source told AFP that its drones had targeted two oil refineries and a military airfield in the area just east of the Crimean peninsula.

“Ukrainian drones attacked atmospheric distillation columns of the Ilsky and Slovensky refineries. These are key technological facilities,” the source said.

Russian authorities in the Krasnodar region reported a fire at an oil refinery in the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban.

Russian state media, citing a company representative, reported that the refinery suspended operations as a result.

Videos and pictures on social media showed massive fires burning at the site overnight after a series of explosions.

Moscow had earlier said Ukraine had carried out its largest-ever attempted drone attacks on the Krasnodar region overnight.

“Air defense forces destroyed and intercepted 66 Ukrainian drones on the territory of the Krasnodar Territory and two over the Crimean Peninsula,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Kiev has hit several Russian oil refineries in the western part of the country in recent months, despite reports of concern in Washington that the attacks could escalate tensions and send global oil prices higher.

Ukraine says targeting Russia’s vital energy sector is legitimate because it is a source of fuel and funding for the Russian military.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)