Kyiv, Ukraine – The energy infrastructure in Ukraine has come under a “massive strike” by Russia, according to the country’s energy minister. Explosions have been reported in several cities as a co-ordinated assault unfolded with waves of drones and missiles across the country.

Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko has urged people to seek shelter as emergency power outages were initiated due to confirmed attacks on facilities happening throughout Ukraine. Reports indicate damage to civilian infrastructure, although the full extent is still unclear. The mayor of Kharkiv reported shelling in a civilian area while the mayor of Lutsk mentioned multiple explosions and power outages in parts of the city.

The Ukrainian air force issued a nationwide air raid warning early on Thursday, cautioning about missile threats. Warnings were issued for missiles, rockets, and drones heading towards various regions, including Kyiv, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Kropyvnytskyi, Balta, and Mykolaiv. In response to the strikes, Ukrainian authorities have implemented pre-emptive emergency power cuts to prevent overwhelming the country’s power grid.

Recent attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are part of a pattern, with previous winters seeing similar assaults, causing significant challenges for the country. The repeated strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities pose a threat to its power grid as winter approaches, with the potential for severe consequences on the population. DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, reported significant damage to its thermal energy plants earlier this month, resulting in blackouts – the eighth such attack this year.

As the conflict escalates, Russia has conducted nearly 1,500 strikes on Ukraine since Sunday evening, with the war intensifying. The recent exchange of missiles between Ukraine, the US, and the UK marks a concerning development in the ongoing conflict. Amid escalating military actions, both sides are deploying advanced weaponry, raising fears of further devastation and prolonged conflict.