ENERGO: Russia makes first attacks on Ukraine energy infrastructure as winter looms

Russia has opened its hunting season on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, with the first attacks in six months.

A series of missile strikes on energy installations were carried out on September 21, leaving a trail of destruction in the western and central regions of Ukraine, as reported by the national power company Ukrenergo.

A total of 40 buildings have been damaged, and 20 individuals have suffered injuries as a result of the attack. Moreover, almost 49,000 consumers across 90 settlements have been left without power – the first blackouts since Russia’s campaign targeting power last winter.

During the offensive, electricity networks suffered damage in several key regions, including Rivne, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Kharkiv.

A reported 43 cruise missiles were fired at Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defences successfully intercepting and downing 36 of them. The attack on September 21 saw Russian forces launch a massive missile assault on several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Rivne, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi and Drohobych.