Two injured in heavy Russian attack on Ukrainian energy facilities

During the night from Friday to Saturday, Russia launched a ‘massive attack’ on Ukrainian energy facilities. Multiple installations were damaged and at least two people were injured in the attack, said Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

Russia has once again shelled Ukraine's energy facilities en masse. Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on the messaging app Telegram that Russian attacks targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region of central Ukraine and the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk. In the attack, at least two people were injured. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, said its four thermal power stations were hit.

Since March 22, Russian forces have ramped up their attacks on the Ukrainian power sector, targeting thermal and hydropower stations and other energy infrastructure almost daily. Ukraine has lost about 80% of its thermal generation and about 35% of its hydropower capacity, according to officials.

The US, meanwhile, said on Friday it will rush Patriot air defence missiles and artillery ammunition to Ukraine as part of its new military aid package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Patriots were urgently needed to face a growing Russian air threat. 

On Friday, Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder also confirmed that Belgium would move up a gear and provide additional ammunition to Ukraine, as well as F-16 fighter jets.

^{Workers clean debris at a power plant of energy provider DTEK, destroyed after a Russian attack earlier this month © Genya SAVILOV / AFP}