Third of Ukraine’s power stations ‘destroyed’ in brutal new Russian war tactic

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has said that almost a third of all the country’s power stations have been “destroyed” in a brutal new Russian move.

A third of Ukraine’s power stations ‘destroyed’ in brutal new Russian war tactic

Almost a third of Ukraine’s power stations have been “destroyed” as Russia enacts a punishing new tactic in its brutal war.

There are fears Moscow is deliberate targeting of Ukraine’s energy network ahead of winter.

Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin stated there was no need for more massive air strikes on Ukraine “for now”, and that 22 out of 29 targets in the country had been hit.

It was unclear what that hit list of targets might be. But now it seems the country’s power infrastructure is in Putin’s sights.

On Tuesday, at least two power stations near the city of Dnipro were hit by missiles. Smoke was seen rising from a plant near the capital Kyiv. Parts of the city are without power and water.

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during a press conference after attending a summit with leaders countries of the Russian led Commonwealth of Independent States in Astana on October 14, 2022. (Photo by Valery SHARIFULIN / SPUTNIK / AFP)

In the past few months, Russia had concentrated much of its war effort near the front lines in the east and south of the country. But in the last week, it has stepped up attacks deeper into the nation. Attacks with so-called “kamikaze dromes” have hit residential buildings, playgrounds and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

“Since October 10, 30 per cent of Ukraine’s power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter.

In Kyiv, energy operator DTEK said there were “interruptions” to the electricity and water supply to the residents of the capital’s left bank.

“Engineers are investigating and making all the necessary efforts to restore the power to the city’s residents,” the company said on Facebook.

Birds fly as smoke rises over Dnipro river after several Russian strikes hit the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on October 10, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Genya SAVILOV / AFP)

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko called on residents to save electricity “as much as possible” and avoid using appliances with high energy consumption.

Parts of Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, were also without electricity after strikes on an energy facility, governor Vitaliy Bunechko said.

He added there were no casualties.

Smoke rises as Ukraine's capital is rocked by explosions during a drone attack in the early morning on October 17, 2022 in Kyiv. (Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images)

The region’s main city Zhytomyr was without electricity and water with hospitals working “on backup power supplies”, mayor Sergiy Shukhomlyn said on Facebook.

Power cuts were reported in parts of Dnipro region in central Ukraine following a strike on energy infrastructure that caused “fire and serious damage”, governor Valentyn Reznichenko said.

There were also “interruptions” in water supply on the left bank of Dnipro city, he added, while the neighbouring city of Pavlograd was without water after a strike on a “critical infrastructure facility”, according to its city council.

In the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight strikes hit a residential building in the central district — killing at least one person — as well as a flower market in the same area.

Power supply was restored there on Tuesday morning.

A drone flies over Kyiv during an attack on October 17. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)

‘Situation critical’

“The situation is critical now across the country because our regions are dependent on one another … it’s necessary for the whole country to prepare for electricity, water and heating outages,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, told Ukrainian television.

On Tuesday, Russia confirmed the new strikes on power facilities in Ukraine.

“In the past day, the Russian armed forces have continued to strike Ukrainian military commands and energy systems with long-range air and sea-based high precision weapons,” the Russian defence ministry said in its daily update

The Russian military also said it had recaptured territory in the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine, the first gains in that place since Moscow’s forces were pushed back in a sweeping counteroffensive.

“Units of the Russian army during offensive operations captured the village of Gorobiivka in the Kharkiv region,” the defence ministry said, claiming to have inflicted a “significant defeat” on Ukrainian troops in the village.