Ukraine faces widespread power outages of eight to sixteen hours across most regions after a major escalation in Russian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure. State transmission operator Ukrenergo reported that the latest assaults, which began Friday and continued into Saturday, have reduced Ukraine’s electricity generation capacity to “zero,” leaving millions of citizens without reliable access to electricity, heating, and water.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed that at least seven people were killed during the attacks, which involved hundreds of drones targeting key energy facilities. Cities including Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Chernihiv, and Sumy are expected to experience recurring power cuts despite ongoing repair efforts and emergency energy rerouting. Svitlana Grynchuk, Ukraine’s energy minister, described the attacks as massive and unprecedented, noting the difficulty of defending against the sheer number of ballistic missiles involved.

Among the most concerning targets were two nuclear power substations in western Ukraine, which supply electricity to the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear plants. Kyiv’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to urgently assess the risks, warning that Russia’s deliberate strikes endanger nuclear safety in Europe. He also urged global powers such as China and India to pressure Moscow to halt the attacks.

Experts warn that repeated strikes on energy infrastructure place Ukraine at risk of heating outages just before winter, with Kyiv particularly vulnerable if power and heating plants fail during sub-zero temperatures. Since early October, these attacks have marked the ninth major assault on gas infrastructure, with an estimated 50% of Ukraine’s natural gas production shut down.

In response, Ukraine has intensified its own strikes on Russian oil depots and refineries to disrupt Moscow’s energy exports. Meanwhile, Russia reported early Sunday that its air defense systems destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones, highlighting the ongoing tit-for-tat nature of energy and military strikes. The recent escalation underscores the high stakes for civilians and critical infrastructure in Ukraine as the conflict continues to intensify.

Read more at The Guardian.