[Russia launched a new widespread attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, forcing the country to implement emergency power outages, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday. The Ukrainian energy minister, German Halushchenko, condemned the attack, saying it was an act of terrorism. The extent of the damage was still unclear, but Ukraine’s air force warned of the threat of ballistic and cruise missiles targeting parts of the country. Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s energy grid operator, introduced emergency power outages across the country in response.
Moscow’s forces have intensified bombardments of Ukraine in recent months, leaving the country precariously positioned as the war enters its third winter. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to strike Ukraine again with a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile following a widespread attack on critical energy infrastructure.
Russia’s latest assault came after Moscow vowed to respond to a Ukrainian attack on a city in southwest Russia, which Russia claimed involved six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles. Ukraine acknowledged making “tangible hits on Russian targets”, including military and energy facilities, but did not say what type of missiles were used.
The United States announced a $500 million aid package for Ukraine that will pull equipment out of US military stocks. The Biden administration is working to surge deliveries of weapons to Ukraine in its final days in office, aiming to put Kyiv on strong footing going into 2025.
Source link