In brief
The latest attacks by Russia have pushed Ukraine's energy infrastructure to the brink, increasing pressure on global allies to act against the ongoing threat to nuclear safety amidst the conflict.
Russia conducted a significant missile assault targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure early Friday, marking what President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized as “one of the largest strikes” against his nation’s power facilities. This barrage involved 93 missiles and 200 drones, including at least one missile reportedly linked to North Korea. Ukraine's energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, described the onslaught as a devastating attack on the nation’s energy sector.Reports indicated that of the 81 missiles launched against Ukraine, 11 were successfully intercepted by F16 fighter jets supplied by Western allies. In response, President Zelensky has called upon Ukraine's partners to intensify support, stating, “The world can stop this madness.” The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also reiterated the urgent need for Russia to cease its assaults on Ukraine’s energy facilities, highlighting the critical risks posed to nuclear safety across the region.In light of the recent attacks, the IAEA adopted a resolution emphasizing that Russia’s actions could lead to a potential radiation disaster, urging the global community to bolster pressure on Russia to halt its aggressive maneuvers. The agency reported that the missile strikes forced five of Ukraine's nine operational nuclear reactors to reduce their power output in the wake of the assault.Initial damage assessments emerged shortly after the strikes, with reports of severe power outages in western Ukraine, particularly in the Lviv and Ternopil regions. Svitlana Onyshchuk, a leader from the Ivano-Frankivsk military administration, noted on social media that this represented “the most massive attack since the start of the full-scale war.” Moreover, military analysts speculate that these escalated strikes from Russia may be a display of strength following the recent downfall of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, a long-time ally.Conversely, some military experts believe that Russia may be reaching the limits of its missile capacity, possibly due to depleted stockpiles and ongoing production issues. Pentagon sources have indicated the likelihood of Russia deploying a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, following prior tensions arising from Ukraine's utilization of American-supplied weaponry to impact targets within Russia.Anastasia Kuznietsova contributed to this report. Maria Varenikova covers Ukraine and its ongoing conflict with Russia.
