Ukraine Urges Citizens To Limit Electricity Use As Russia Pummels Infrastructure

For a second day following Monday’s largest ever Russian wave of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, air raids sounded frequently in cities throughout the country. Thus far Tuesday has seen a dozen cities attacked, with energy infrastructure being a primary target. Energy facilities in the central Ukraine region of Dnipropetrovsk suffered “serious” damage by the latest Russian strikes, a day after President Vladimir Putin in a televised statement said he ordered attacks on military, energy, and communications targets specifically in response to the weekend Crimea bridge attack.

The damage is already extensive enough that Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has called on Ukrainians to limit their electricity use. Describing that 11 important infrastructure facilities have been damaged in eight regions of Ukraine and Kyiv, Shmyhal announced, “We must be prepared for temporary disruptions of electricity, water supplies and communication.”

Via Reuters

“The Russians fired missiles at energy infrastructure in the Pavlograd and Kamian districts. There is serious destruction. Many settlements still do not have electricity,” Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Valentin Reznichenko announced after Tuesday’s Russian salvos.

The Hill describes that in various cities Tuesday “Ukrainians were sent scurrying toward shelters as sirens sounded and mobile phones blared warnings to take cover.” Moscow has confirmed that it is actively targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with the defense ministry issuing the following statement on Telegram: 

“Today, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue launching the massive attack using high-precision long-range air- and sea-based armament at the facilities of military control and energy system of Ukraine.” 

Ukraine’s military says it has continued successfully intercepting many of the long-range missiles – something which had been disputed after Monday’s large-scale assault: “The Ukrainian air force said Russian bombers over the Caspian Sea launched missiles toward Ukraine early Tuesday, but at least four of the missiles were shot down.”

The AFP has called the ongoing Russian operation a “missile blitz” with an aim to compensate for recent significant territorial losses in the east and south.

Russia’s retributory air strikes are heavily focused on Ukraine’s energy grid.

This video shows a thermal power plant being destroyed in Kiev.

The damage from the attacks was so severe that Ukraine is ending all electrical exports to Europe, saying its own grid is now unstable. pic.twitter.com/AhhFY0ZSt8

— Clint Ehrlich (@ClintEhrlich) October 10, 2022

Additional regional governors and officials have meanwhile confirmed energy facilities were struck Tuesday, as far West as Lviv, including some by Iranian manufactured drones: 

Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration, said there were “three explosions at two energy facilities in the Lviv region.”

The Ladyzhynska power plant in the west-central city of Vinnytsia was also hit by so-called “kamikaze drones,” according to the plant’s owner, the DTEK Group.

Ukraine’s foreign minister has condemned these strikes as war crimes. On Monday independent connectivity and network monitors confirmed that multiple cities suffered electrical and internet outages…

⚠️ Update: Network data show major sustained impacts to infrastructure across much of #Ukraine after a series of reprisal attacks by Russia; energy facilities have been targeted per President’s office ⚡️

📰 Report: https://t.co/S0qJQ7CJD3 pic.twitter.com/kp93hav9xD

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) October 10, 2022

But it appears many regions have made rapid recoveries as emergency crews struggle to keep the lights on:

ℹ️ Update: Network data show that #Ukraine has rapidly recovered after a series of Russian missile strikes targeting multiple cities, knocking out power and telecoms infrastructure; national connectivity is back up to 96% of ordinary levels

📰 Background: https://t.co/S0qJQ7kAoV pic.twitter.com/Uehklfyde0

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) October 11, 2022

“Primary targets of Russian strikes are energy facilities. They’ve hit many yesterday [Monday] and they hit the same and new ones today,” FM Dmytro Kuleba Kuleba said on Twitter.

“These are war crimes planned well in advance and aimed at creating unbearable conditions for civilians — Russia’s deliberate strategy since months,” the top Ukrainian diplomat said. All of this also comes amid rising fears that Belarus is preparing to more directly enter the conflict, in a major boost to the Russian side.