Russia Hitting Ukraine’s Energy Supplies Ahead Of Winter
Key Facts
- Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter, damaging a major thermal power plant and leaving parts of the country without heat and electricity.
- Ukraine’s largest energy operator, DTEK, confirmed two workers were injured as repair crews worked nonstop to restore power while officials avoided revealing damage sites for security reasons.
- Kyiv accused Moscow of “weaponizing winter” by deliberately targeting power grids, hospitals, and essential services, while setting up emergency “Points of Invincibility” to aid civilians amid freezing temperatures.
- Ukraine responded with drone and missile strikes on Russian energy facilities, while both sides reported intercepting dozens of drones in escalating cross-border attacks.
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – With a notoriously cold winter approaching, Russia has launched a major campaign to deny Ukraine heat, light, and running water, authorities said Wednesday.
In one of the latest overnight attacks, Russia’s military damaged a thermal power plant, injuring two workers, confirmed DTEK, Ukraine’s biggest electricity operator. Repair crews were reportedly working around the clock to restore power, but Ukrainian officials declined to provide details on damage locations, citing fears of “giving away intelligence to the enemy.”
The energy sector has been a key battleground since Russia launched its all-out invasion over three years ago. Each year, Moscow has attempted to cripple Ukraine’s grid ahead of the bitter winter, hoping to erode public morale and disrupt military manufacturing, officials said. Kyiv has accused Russia of “weaponizing winter.”
Ukraine’s winter runs from late October through March, with January and February the coldest months. In northern and eastern regions, temperatures can drop below –15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit). The prospect of blackouts raises fears of freezing homes, disrupted hospitals, and shutdowns of essential services.
Yet Ukraine has been striking back with long-range drone and missile attacks on Russian energy facilities, causing outages in several Russian border regions
RUSSIA ESCALATES DRONE STRIKES
The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones across nine Russian regions overnight.
Ukraine, however, claimed successes of its own. The air force said it intercepted or jammed 154 out of 183 Russian strike and decoy drones launched in massive overnight waves.
Despite those interceptions, multiple Ukrainian regions were hit. Energy infrastructure in Chernihiv, Kherson, and Dnipropetrovsk sustained severe damage, according to local officials.
The northeastern town of Shostka, in Sumy region, has been among the hardest hit by Russian attacks on the power supply. Authorities there set up heated tents where residents can drink tea, charge phones, and receive psychological support.
Regional head Oleh Hryhorov posted photos showing people cooking outdoors over open fires as families struggled without electricity. Shostka Mayor Mykola Noha listed 11 warming points where residents could get food and tea. “Please bring your own dishes,” he wrote on social media.
CIVILIANS STRUGGLE TO COPE
Across Ukraine, local authorities are opening so-called “Points of Invincibility” across Ukraine, shelters offering heating, internet access, and hot drinks. Residents are urged to stockpile warm clothing, generators, and firewood amid fears of more Russian attacks.
The latest strikes come after a Russian barrage earlier in the week that killed at least five civilians and caused blackouts across much of Ukraine. Officials warn that sustained attacks on energy systems could leave millions vulnerable as winter sets in.
Yet Ukraine is also intensifying cross-border attacks. Rockets fired into Russia’s Belgorod border region killed three people and wounded one more, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed. Previous strikes in the area disrupted local power supplies and fuel depots.
Kyiv says its military actions are in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, sparking a war that is believed to have killed and injured more than a million people.
The NATO military alliance and the European Union have previously condemned what they view as Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilian sites in Ukraine, saying such attacks violate international law.
Moscow, however, denies deliberately attacking civilians or civilian infrastructure, insisting it only targets military facilities.
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