Ukraine says Russia’s “terror tactics” are reflected in the massive missile attacks in the energy sector as winter approaches.

Kyiv – Russia launched a major attack Thursday on Ukraine’s energy sector, forcing emergency power cuts as temperatures plunged to freezing across the country. Ukraine’s power grid has been largely targeted since then Russia launched its all-out offensive in February 2022, when Kyiv accused Moscow of “intimidation” tactics by trying to blackout Ukrainian cities and cut off heat for the whole winter.

The nightly strikes come after two weeks of major escalation that has seen both sides launch new weapons to regain power. before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in January.

Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko said the power infrastructure was “under attack from a major enemy” after a nationwide airstrike alert was issued for incoming missiles.

The air force reported a barrage of Russian missiles and attack aircraft targeting cities across the country, including the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv in the northeast and the Black Sea port of Odesa.

“Ukraine’s energy sector is under attack from a major enemy”

“Once again, the energy industry is under attack from big enemies. Attacks on energy facilities are happening all over Ukraine,” said Galushchenko.

National power grid operator Ukrenergo “immediately initiated emergency power cuts,” he added, as temperatures dropped to around 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Energy provider DTEK said Ukrenergo is introducing emergency power cuts in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro and Donetsk regions.

Officials have warned residents in many cities to stay in shelters, with wind warnings still in effect.

As long as the security situation will allow it, the results (of the strikes) will be clarified,” said Galushchenko.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s spokesman said the wave of attacks showed Russia was “continuing its terror tactics.”

“They have stockpiled missiles to attack Ukrainian infrastructure, to fight civilians… in the winter,” Andriy Yermak said in a Telegram post, promising that Ukraine would respond.

The United Nations chief, Rosemary DiCarlo, this month warned that Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure could make this winter “the worst since the war began.”

The Russia-Ukraine war is escalating with new weapons

Russia earlier this week said it was preparing to retaliate against Ukrainian strikes on its territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

Ukraine has launched at least three long-range missile attacks on Russian territory since the White House gave it permission to fire them deep into Russia.

Moscow responded to the first strike by shooting an unprecedented ballistic missile in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. In an angry address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned a nuclear-capable, intermediate-range, multiple-warhead missile could be used against the West if it allows its arms to be used by Ukraine to attack Russia.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday it shot down 25 Ukrainian jets that were shot down overnight, including 14 in the southern Krasnodar region – just east of the Crimean peninsula.

The governor of Krasnodar said a woman was injured by falling debris in the town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, about 60 miles east of the Kerch bridge – a major infrastructure project linking Crimea to Russia that Kyiv has focused on during the war.

Trump taps retired general to lead Ukraine, Russia policy

The latest missile salvo came a day after Trump nominated loyalist and retired general Keith Kellogg as his envoy to Ukraine, charged with ending the Russian invasion.

Trump campaigned on a pitch for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine, bragging that he would quickly mediate a ceasefire – comments that raised concerns in Kyiv that the US would push it to let the land occupied by Russian troops.

Kellog, an 80-year-old national security veteran, co-authored a paper this year calling on Washington to use military assistance as a way to force peace talks.

The outgoing Biden administration has urged Ukraine to lower the minimum age of conscription to 18 to cover a severe shortage of workers on the 600-mile front line.

Russian troops have been advancing east for months, where they have the advantage of using more manpower and ammunition than Ukrainian forces.