KIEV—Russia on Monday fired dozens of missiles at Ukrainian energy facilities, including hydroelectric power plants, causing widespread power outages, cell phone outages and reduced water supplies.
In a wave of attacks Monday morning as explosions rocked Kyiv and thick black smoke rose above the capital, Prime Minister Denis Shmykhal targeted 10 regions in Ukraine and damaged 18 facilities, mostly energy-related. said to have given.
A major hydroelectric power station in central Ukraine’s Kremenchuk was hit, the regional governor said, without specifying whether it had been hit or damaged.
Germany’s Energy Minister Garshchenko wrote on Facebook that there were partial blackouts in some areas and that emergency blackouts were imposed in others to reduce the load on the energy system.
Russia did not immediately comment on the recent airstrikes.
“On the occasion of Halloween, Russia has decided to carry out another act of missile terrorism,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Twitter.
Kyiv’s governor said there had been “one casualty” in what he described as a “massive shelling” of the area, but there was no immediate word on casualties.
Kyiv authorities said 350,000 apartments were left without electricity, water supplies were affected and mobile phone systems were down in some areas.
The mayor of Kharkiv said the missile targeted a “critical infrastructure facility” in the northeastern city.
Ukrainian officials have not released details of the damage to hydroelectric plants that produced about 5% of Ukraine’s electricity before the February 24 Russian invasion.
Russia has stepped up attacks on its energy infrastructure and cities after blaming Kyiv for the explosion that destroyed a bridge connecting southern Russia with Crimea.
Pavel Polichuk
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