Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine’s energy grid, firing more than 200 missiles and drones in the largest attack in months. The strikes killed seven people and forced Ukraine to announce nationwide electricity rationing starting Monday, according to energy supplier Ukrenergo.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, describing it as the work of “Russian terrorists.” Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 144 of the 210 projectiles, including 102 missiles and 42 drones, while others were brought down by jamming or diverted. However, significant damage was inflicted on critical infrastructure across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa.
Poland and NATO scrambled fighter jets as Russian projectiles violated Moldovan airspace, though no incidents were reported. In Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Nikopol’, civilians and rail workers were among those killed. The eighth assault on Ukraine’s grid this year, it marked the first large-scale attack with winter approaching, intensifying concerns about the country’s energy resilience.
Former preschool teacher Nataliya Grabarchuck became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance after downing a cruise missile on her first combat attempt with a surface-to-air interceptor. Zelenskyy praised such efforts but emphasized the need for continued Western support to fend off escalating Russian aggression.
The strikes came after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Vladimir Putin for the first time since 2022, a move Ukrainian officials criticized. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the assault a “true response” from Moscow to diplomacy, underscoring the Kremlin’s unwillingness to compromise after Donald Trump’s US election victory.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized “telephone diplomacy,” urging the West to focus on real support for Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiment, highlighting the urgency of Ukraine’s defense during the upcoming G20 summit. He also noted Russia’s enlistment of 10,000 North Korean soldiers as evidence of its desperation.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, reiterated its demands for peace negotiations based on Russia’s territorial gains and NATO’s withdrawal from Ukraine. Zelenskyy, however, dismissed the idea of a dictated peace settlement, reaffirming Ukraine’s independence and commitment to victory, whether through diplomacy or on the battlefield.
Adding to the tensions, Elon Musk mocked Zelenskyy’s remarks about Ukraine’s independence, further straining relations with Kyiv. Musk’s SpaceX provides critical battlefield communications via its Starlink satellites, yet his public comments have drawn increasing scrutiny.
As winter looms, the scale of the attack underscores the Kremlin’s strategy to weaken Ukraine’s resilience, challenging both its energy infrastructure and international alliances.
