Nation Plunged into Darkness as Energy Grid Collapses
Large parts of Ukraine have been plunged into darkness following a devastating wave of Russian drone attacks that have crippled the country's energy infrastructure. The state transmission system operator Ukrenergo has announced that most regions will experience power cuts lasting between eight and sixteen hours daily while emergency repairs are conducted.
The situation reached a critical point when Russian forces launched hundreds of drones targeting energy facilities across Ukraine from Friday into Saturday. This represents the ninth massive assault on the country's gas infrastructure since early October, according to Ukraine's energy company Naftogaz.
Nuclear Facilities Under Threat
In a particularly alarming development, Russian drones targeted two nuclear power substations deep in western Ukraine. Kyiv's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed that the substations powering the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear plants had been hit, with the facilities located approximately 120km and 95km from Lutsk respectively.
Sybiha urgently called upon the International Atomic Energy Agency to respond, stating that Russia is deliberately endangering nuclear safety across Europe. He specifically appealed to China and India, traditionally significant buyers of Russian oil, to pressure Moscow to cease its attacks on critical infrastructure.
Winter Crisis Looms as Capacity Hits Zero
The scale of the damage became apparent when state power firm Centerenergo warned that Ukraine's generating capacity had been reduced to absolute zero. Energy minister Svitlana Grynchuk described the attack as particularly severe, noting that the enemy inflicted a massive strike with ballistic missiles that are extremely difficult to intercept.
Experts are warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe as winter approaches. Ukraine's top energy expert, Oleksandr Kharchenko, revealed that if Kyiv's two power and heating plants remain offline for more than three days during temperatures below minus 10°C, the capital would face a technological disaster of unprecedented scale.
According to a report from Kyiv's School of Economics, the relentless attacks have already shut down half of Ukraine's natural gas production capacity. The disruption affects not only electricity but also heat and water supplies across multiple Ukrainian cities.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has responded by intensifying strikes on Russian oil depots and refineries in recent months, aiming to disrupt Moscow's crucial energy exports and trigger domestic fuel shortages. Early on Sunday, Russia's air defence units reportedly destroyed 44 Ukrainian drones, according to RIA news agency.
