Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure in overnight ‘energy terror’

Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushchenko, described the missile and drone attack as a continuation of Moscow’s “energy terror.” Russia has persistently targeted critical infrastructure, including power generation facilities and transmission systems, particularly during the winter. 

“Russia is trying to harm ordinary Ukrainians by shelling energy and gas [infrastructure], leaving us without light and heat, causing the greatest harm to average citizens,” Galushchenko posted on Facebook, appealing to the public to remain in shelters. 

The minister said emergency services and repair crews were responding to the strikes and that steps were being taken to stabilize power and gas supplies. 

Media reports said a missile had hit a gas facility in the city of Ternopil in the country’s west, potentially causing supply interruptions, state news agency Ukrinform said. 

The Kyiv Independent wrote that a missile strike in the eastern Poltava province had damaged residential buildings, injuring two people, one of them a child. 

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the cessation of U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine affected the country’s ability to detect incoming aerial threats.