Russia mounts massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
Attack forces emergency power outages as temperatures drop to freezing across the country
Russia unleashed on Thursday its second big attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this month, triggering deep power cuts across the country.
President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had struck in response to Ukraine’s strikes on Russian territory with US medium-range ATACMS missiles. He said Russia’s future targets could include “decision-making centres” in Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of a “despicable escalation”, saying it had used cruise missiles with cluster munitions.
Later in his nightly video address, Volodymyr Zelensky said he was speaking to Western leaders, including Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, to forge a response to “Russia’s attempt to make the situation more unbearable and drag out the war”.
“Now is the time to strengthen our positions – the position of Ukraine and our partners,” he said.
