An overnight Russian drone attack damaged electrical installations in central and western Ukraine, leading to further power outages, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said on Wednesday.
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These strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure come at a time when the authorities have announced more frequent restrictions to mitigate the network, which has been greatly weakened by Russian attacks.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy explained on its account on the Telegram application that “the enemy struck an electrical facility in the center of the country, and restrictions were imposed on supplies.”
The ministry in the Lviv region (west) said that equipment and power lines were also damaged during this night attack.
The previous day, operator Ukrenergo announced a partial power outage on Wednesday across the country. These measures extend for the first time over a 24-hour period, while until now they concerned smaller periods of time, during peak consumption.
For his part, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk explained on Wednesday that “21 Shahd-131/136 attack drones” were launched into the country overnight.
This attack injured a 70-year-old man in the Lviv region, but his life is not in danger, according to authorities in the region.
“He suffers from barotrauma, multiple drone fragment injuries and several fractures. The regional administration explained via Telegram that his condition is somewhat serious.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that these Russian bombings led to electricity production in Ukraine halving since the winter.
Kiev called on its Western allies to help rebuild its electrical grid, a project that requires large investments, and to provide it with more anti-aircraft defenses to counter Moscow's strikes.
