Russian overnight drone attack targets Ukraine's energy infrastructure

In a coordinated overnight assault, Russian forces launched a widespread drone attack across Ukraine, targeting key energy infrastructure and disrupting power supplies.

A handout picture made available by the press service of the 24th Mechanized Brigade of Ukrainian Armed Forces shows an aerial view of the damaged Novyy district where the 24 Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo held the position the previous month in the city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, 04 July 2024 amid the Russian invasio

Photo: EPA/Press service of 24 Mechanized brigade handout

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 24 out of the 27 drones deployed by Russia were successfully intercepted and destroyed.

The attack spanned 12 regions, including a significant strike on an energy facility in the northeastern Sumy region.

The state-operated energy company, Ukrenergo, confirmed that the damage to the Sumy energy facility led to emergency electricity shut-offs for industrial consumers in the city.

According to officials, repair teams were actively working to restore power to the affected areas.

Despite the extensive reach of the attack, Ukrainian authorities have reported no casualties or significant additional damage.

Since March, Russian forces have escalated their attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure, resulting in extensive damage to thermal and hydropower generation facilities. This strategy has caused prolonged blackouts across the country.

The latest strike adds to the ongoing challenges faced by Ukraine's energy sector, which has been severely impacted since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In response to the ongoing energy crisis, Ukrenergo has implemented scheduled electricity cut-offs throughout the country.

The Ukrainian power system has already lost about half of its available generation capacity due to Russia's continuous missile and drone attacks over the past four months.

(ał)

Source: IAR, Reuters