These attacks notably targeted electricity production and transmission installations in the regions of Poltava, Kirovohrad and Zaporizhia. Various local authorities reported at least six injuries.
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Russian forces carried out, on the night of Tuesday May 7 to Wednesday May 8, a new “massive attack” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, using missiles and drones. “The enemy is not giving up on its plans to deprive Ukrainians of light. Another massive attack on our energy industry!” the Ukrainian Energy Minister wrote on Telegram. Hours later, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it had carried out strikes against military and energy targets in Ukraine, “in response to the kyiv regime’s attempt to damage Russian energy infrastructure.”
These attacks targeted electricity production and transmission facilities in the regions of Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia, said the Ukrainian Energy Minister. The city of Kherson, in the south of the country, was also found “partially deprived of electricity“, affirmed for his part the governor of the region.
The various local authorities also reported at least six injured during the night: one in the Dnipropetrovsk region, one in Kirovograd, two in Brovary, near kyiv, and two others in the capital.
Ukraine prepares for power cuts
In the wake of these strikes, the national electricity company Ukrenergo warned that “Power outages are possible across Ukraine” in the evening, asking his customers to‘”use electricity sparingly” to deal with a situation that should be “particularly difficult”.
According to the DTEK company, the largest private investor in the energy sector in Ukraine, three thermal power plants have been “seriously damaged”. It said its facilities had been bombed around 180 times since the Russian offensive began in February 2022, including five times in the last six weeks.
The Ukrainian Air Force says 59 of 76 drones and missiles sent by Russia overnight were intercepted. According to the Kiev city military administration, Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers also fired several cruise missiles at the capital, which was placed on alert for three hours. All these missiles were shot down, she said.
