Russia intensifies power system attacks on strained Ukrainian grid as US aid falls short

Russian missile strikes targeted power facilities in central and western Ukraine on Saturday, intensifying pressure on an already strained energy infrastructure as the country faces a shortage of air defenses despite recent US military aid. This marks the fourth major aerial assault against Ukrainian power systems since March 22nd. DTEK, the largest private electricity company in Ukraine, reported that four out of its six thermal power plants had suffered new damage overnight following strikes by Russian strategic bombers based in the Arctic Circle. Rescue teams worked to extinguish massive fires at several energy facilities in western regions bordering NATO members Poland and Romania, according to officials. The supply of running water was disrupted after strikes on energy facilities affected Kryvyi Rih in central Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities said. “Unfortunately, we could not avoid the consequences,” Governor Serhiy Lysak stated. In President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown of Kryvyi Righ and other locations hit by Russian attacks, one energy worker was reportedly injured overnight. Russia has denied targeting civilians during its air strikes but claims that Ukrainian power infrastructure is a legitimate military objective. The Ukraine authorities said they were unable to prevent the damage caused due in part to a lack of working air defenses following a breakthrough agreement on US military aid this week, which saw Congress approve $6 billion worth of new weapons for Kyiv including interceptors for Patriot missile defense systems. In Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine’s second-largest city that has been heavily bombed in recent weeks, one hospital holding 60 patients was struck by a Russian missile overnight injuring a woman and damaging nearby water pipes and power lines according to the governor of the region. Ukrainian intelligence sources reported drone strikes against two oil refineries located near Krasnodar city in southern Russia as well as an airfield, although these claims have not been independently verified by Reuters news agency. The Slavyansk oil refinery has had to temporarily halt some operations due to damage sustained during the attack according to a senior executive at that facility cited by Russian state media TASS. Ukrainian authorities stated that eighty percent of thermal power generation and thirty-five percent of hydroelectric capacity have been lost as a result of recent attacks on energy infrastructure, with officials warning that consumption rises later this year could present serious challenges due to the current depletion in reserves resulting from rolling blackouts being introduced. Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK stated: “Last night’s [attacks] underline the continued urgent need for Ukraine’s allies to provide stronger air defense systems.”