Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of deliberately targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to cut off electricity and heating to civilians as winter approaches. He called on international allies to increase pressure on Moscow to halt these attacks.
In a social media post on Saturday, Zelenskyy revealed that Russia had launched one of its largest assaults on Ukraine’s energy sector since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. More than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities across multiple regions were targeted, he said, with Ukrainian energy companies actively engaged in restoration efforts.
Strikes on Power and Industrial Facilities
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces had struck several infrastructure sites overnight, including an electricity substation in Zhytomyr, a city in northwestern Ukraine. It also reported attacks on two steel plants—one in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s largest steelworks reportedly supplying materials to the military-industrial complex, and another in Zaporizhzhia near the front line.
Russian airstrikes on Kherson in southern Ukraine resulted in the death of an ambulance driver and injured 19 others, including a child, Ukrainian authorities said. Additionally, Russian state media reported at least one civilian death and injuries from Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s Belgorod region.
Zelenskyy Criticizes U.S. Sanctions Waiver
President Zelenskyy also reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order waiving a package of new sanctions and tariffs targeting Russian energy revenues, which was set to take effect imminently. Zelenskyy described this move as easing pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin and encouraging continued aggression.
The waiver, which suspends the Lindsey Graham Act sanctions, was praised by a Russian presidential envoy as a historic and positive development, suggesting the act would have harmed the U.S. economy and global markets.
Winter Threat and International Appeal
Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s intensified attacks aim to leave millions of Ukrainians without electricity and heating just before winter sets in. He said Moscow has expanded its campaign against Ukraine’s energy system to exhaust the country’s reserves and repair capacity. The Ukrainian leader urged allies to increase diplomatic and economic efforts to pressure Russia into stopping these assaults.
