Russia has launched a huge attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which authorities said was the 12th large-scale attack on energy facilities this year.
Ninety-three missiles and more than 200 drones were used – but 81 of the missiles were shot down, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The strikes targeted sites in western Ukraine, damaging energy facilities in several regions, some seriously. Authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk said it was the worst attack on the region so far.
Moscow said the attack was in response to a Ukrainian strike on a military airbase in south-west Russia using US-made missiles.
In an interview with Time magazine on Thursday, to mark being named Person of the Year, US President-elect Donald Trump said he disagreed “very vehemently” with American-made missiles targeting sites in Russia and branded it “crazy”.
“We’re just escalating this war and making it worse,” he said.
On Friday, the Kremlin said that Trump’s comments were “fully aligned” with Moscow’s position.
“That impresses us,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “It is obvious that Trump understands exactly what is escalating the situation.”
Trump also told Time he wanted to reach an agreement to end the war, and the only way to do that was “not to abandon”.
Last month, US President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use US-made ATACMS missiles to strike targets inside Russia.
The first attacks using the long-range missiles occurred the following day, with Russian authorities stating at the time that the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, had been hit.
Kyiv had been using ATACMS missiles since October 2023, but only on Russian-held targets within Ukrainian territory.
Russia’s attacks came on the coldest day of the Ukrainian winter so far, with temperatures around -6C.
Along with the damage caused in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, energy and infrastructure facilities were damaged in the Lviv and Ternopil regions.
No critical or residential infrastructure was hit in the Kyiv region, according to Ruslan Kravchenko, the area’s governor.
Five out of the country’s nine operating nuclear reactor units have been operating with reduced power.
As a result of the attack, the Ukrenergo National Power Company had to increase power supply restrictions on Friday, with rolling blackouts being introduced in all regions.
Ukrenergo added that during the day on Friday, electricity would be imported from Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In total, Russia has captured and retaken about 2,350 sq km of territory (907 sq miles) in eastern Ukraine and in Russia’s western Kursk region.
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