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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is seen on a screen during the broadcast of a Russian state TV news report in the city of Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region. Photo: Reuters
WorldRussia & Central Asia

Ukraine war: Grid operator urges Kyiv residents to use power sparingly after Russia strikes energy targets in region

  • Grid operator Ukrenergo said on Facebook that Russia has struck ‘critical’ energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region causing ‘severe destruction’
  • The operator warned of potential emergency shutdowns and implored consumers to use power sparingly
Ukraine war
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Russian forces have struck “critical” energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region, causing “severe destruction,” the grid operator Ukrenergo said on Facebook.

Ukrenegro warned of potential emergency shutdowns and asked consumers to use power sparingly. “Such measures give our specialists the opportunity to stabilise the situation as soon as possible and carry out the necessary restorative work,” it said.

The strike comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that seven of 29 of sites targeted in a mass bombing of Ukraine earlier in the week “were not damaged as planned by the Defence Ministry,” and that “the attacks will be renewed”.
Putin said he has no regrets about the invasion of Ukraine, planned as a quick “special operation” and now well into its eighth month. The controversial mobilisation of some 300,000 reservists is almost complete, Putin told reporters in Kazakhstan.

Russian forces launched missiles at the Kyiv region again overnight, with damage reported to energy systems. Kamikaze drone attacks also took place in the Dnipro regions and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Ukraine’s military estimates Russian still has about 300 Iranian-made drones with plans “to buy several thousand more”. Over the past 24 hours Russian troops have launched six rocket and 30 at infrastructure and civilian targets across Ukraine’s east and south, according to a General Staff update.

A large number of wounded people are being admitted to medical facilities in the regions annexed by Russia last month after a vote called illegal by the UN. Hospital overcrowding and a high mortality rate was reported in Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region. Russian casualties in the area include dozens of newly-mobilised forces, Ukraine said.
A woman stands near her destroyed car near an old mill, built around 1885, also destroyed during a Russian missile attack in Zaporizhzhia. Photo: Reuters

Many newly-mobilised Russian reservists have been deployed to Ukraine this month with personal equipment “almost certainly lower than the already poor provision of previously deployed troops”, the UK defence ministry said.

Many reservists are likely being required to buy their own body armour including 6B45 vests, which are currently selling online in Russia for 40,000 roubles (US$640), up from about 12,000 roubles in April, the UK said on Twitter.

Russian authorities in 2020 announced that 300,000 sets of the armour had been supplied to the Russian military, the UK said, suggesting much of the equipment has since gone astray.

The Pentagon on Friday announced US$725 million in additional security aid for Ukraine.

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