Ukraine has said that it is fending off a new missile attack on its energy system, the latest in Russia’s campaign targeting the war-torn country’s power grid during the winter season.
Russia has escalated its strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, plunging hundreds of thousands into temporary blackouts as temperatures hit 0C.
“The enemy continues its terror. Once again, the energy sector across Ukraine is under massive attack,” Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.
The air raid alert had been announced since 7am local time (5am Irish time) and channels monitoring threats reported missiles over several regions of Ukraine.
Russia has conducted at least 11 large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the beginning of the year, according to official figures.
Increased restrictions announced
To manage the power deficit, Ukraine’s energy operator has been implementing hours-long outages.
It has announced increased restrictions following this morning’s attack.
The Kremlin has previously acknowledged striking Ukraine’s energy sites but says they are legitimate targets as they “support the Ukrainian defence industry enterprises”.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly denounced the attacks on the energy system as attempts to break the population’s morale, and urged allies to send more air defence.
Reacting to the latest strike, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga reiterated that call.
“Russia aims to deprive us of energy. Instead, we must deprive it of the means of terror,” he said on social media.
Senior Ukraine official says Kyiv not yet ready for talks with Russia
Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff said in an interview broadcast that his government was not yet ready to start talks with Russia as it lacked the weapons, security guarantees and international status that it sought.
Andriy Yermak’s comments to public broadcaster Suspilne came as Mr Zelensky publicly considers the possibility of a negotiated settlement to the war with Russia, launched by Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
“Not just yet today,” Mr Yermak told Suspilne, when asked whether Ukraine was ready to embark on talks.
“We don’t have the weapons, we don’t have the status that we are talking about. And that means an invitation to NATO and an understanding of clear guarantees that would provide for us, so that we could be sure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin won’t be coming back in two-three years.”
In comments this week alongside German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine wanted an end to the war and efforts were needed to make his country stronger and oblige the Kremlin to work towards peace.
In recent public pronouncements, the president has also said talks could take place with Russia still holding on to territory it has seized in the invasion.
But Ukraine, he said, needed an invitation issued to the entire country to join NATO, though the alliance’s status would apply to the territory controlled by Ukrainian authorities and real security guarantees had to be put in place.
While in Paris last week, Mr Zelensky met US President-elect Donald Trump, who has said, without giving details, that he wants the war to end quickly.
Russia has long rejected any notion of Ukraine becoming a NATO member, with Mr Putin saying Kyiv had to accept the Kremlin’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions it only partly controls.