Ukraine is entering nationwide rolling blackouts as its power facilities are hit by large-scale Russian airstrikes ahead of winter.
On the 17th (local time), according to major foreign media including The Guardian, Ukraine's state-owned power company Ukrenergo issued a statement announcing that power supply will be restricted nationwide due to damage to power facilities.
Ukrenergo stated, "From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the 18th, temporary blackouts will occur across Ukraine," adding, "Workers are restoring the damage as quickly as possible."
On the same day, Russia launched the largest airstrike in the past three months on Ukraine, killing seven people and destroying the power system. Although Ukrainian authorities did not disclose the exact scale of the damage, the nationwide blackout is likely to be prolonged.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it has launched a large-scale attack on facilities supplying energy to Ukraine's military-industrial complex and claimed to have achieved its objectives.
The attack targeted Kyiv, the north, the south, and across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia deployed about 120 missiles and approximately 90 drones in this large-scale attack.
This attack is the largest missile and drone assault on Ukraine since August and the first large-scale attack since former President Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. The Guardian reported that this shows Russia's unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire since Trump's election.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced that it shot down 144 out of 210 aerial targets.
There were also casualties nationwide, with nine civilians killed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Syvukha stated, "Russia carried out one of the largest airstrikes targeting peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, and critical infrastructure."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Ukraine's nuclear power plants were not directly affected, but due to damage to substations, only two of the nine operating reactors are producing power at maximum capacity.
Since the invasion in February 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's power facilities. In August, over 200 missiles and drones were used in airstrikes across Ukraine to attack energy infrastructure. This is interpreted as psychological warfare aimed at undermining the Ukrainian people by making blackouts and heating difficult.
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