On Friday morning, Russia launched a significant aerial assault on Ukraine, utilizing cruise missiles to hit energy infrastructure, particularly in the western border areas.
The attack also involved numerous drones and comes as both Moscow and Kyiv strategize ahead of Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the White House in January.
Following the assault, Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, commended Trump for his critical stance on Ukraine’s attacks within Russia, indicating that such remarks resonate positively with them.
This alignment between Trump and the Kremlin creates anxiety in Ukraine, where there are hopes he may be open to maintaining U.S. military support, yet concerns persist about his past pro-Russian comments potentially pressuring Kyiv into a disadvantageous agreement.
In recent months, Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure, aiming to create disorder as winter approaches, with frigid temperatures expected soon.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko stated that energy workers were striving to mitigate the adverse effects on the energy grid.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia deployed 93 missiles and over 200 drones during the attack, claiming Ukrainian forces intercepted 81 missiles, 11 of which were brought down by F-16 fighters.
Ukraine’s air force indicated that the Russian offensive involved hypersonic Kinzhal missiles launched from aircraft. According to Svitlana Onishchuk, the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, this was the most significant assault since the onset of full-scale war, featuring both cruise missiles and drones.
Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, remarked that as Ukrainians faced the coldest day of winter yet, the enemy attempted to demoralize them through these cruel attacks.
He mentioned that DTEK teams were swiftly evaluating damage to power plants and mobilizing resources to restore electricity for the people of Ukraine.
The Kremlin characterized the latest attacks as retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a southern Russian airbase using U.S.-supplied long-range missiles. Last month, the Biden administration lifted historical restrictions on missile use against targets within Russia.
In a recent interview, Trump criticized this decision, expressing, “It’s crazy what’s taking place. I vehemently disagree with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia.
We’re just escalating this war and making it worse.
” Peskov conveyed that Trump’s statements were in line with their perspective on the escalation of the conflict, noting that they appreciate his understanding of the situation. Russia’s continued attacks on energy infrastructure have led to frequent emergency shutdowns and scheduled power cuts as the damaged grid struggles to meet demand.
Nearly half of Ukraine’s generating capacity has been compromised over almost three years of conflict. Andrian Prokip, a Kyiv-based energy expert with the Kennan Institute in Washington DC, predicted earlier this week that assaults would persist leading up to Trump’s inauguration, suggesting Russia aims to exert pressure on Ukraine’s power system to present a destroyed Ukraine to the new administration.
In response to Friday’s attack, Zelenskyy declared, “This is Putin’s ‘peace plan’ – to destroy everything. This is his way of conducting negotiations, by terrorizing millions.” While Trump has vowed to facilitate discussions between Russia and Ukraine to end the war, many analysts believe Russia shows little willingness to negotiate except under terms unacceptable to Kyiv.
On November 21, Russia employed an intermediate-range hypersonic missile, dubbed Oreshnik by Putin, for the first time in an attack on an industrial facility in Dnipro. This missile, which has nuclear capabilities, has been used by Putin to escalate tensions and threaten the West, with indications it could strike again, including targeting “decision-making centers” in Ukraine. U.S. officials signaled on Wednesday that an additional Oreshnik strike might be forthcoming, although there was no evidence that this missile was used in the recent attack.
