Russia Intensifies Attacksโค on Ukraine‘s Energy Grid as U.S. Considers Tomahawk Missiles
KYIV, Ukraine – Russia launched a wave of โฃdrone and missileโฃ strikes Friday, inflicting critically important damage toโ Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and โขcausing widespread blackouts, โas concerns mount over potential โescalation with the possible delivery of U.S. โฃTomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. At โฃleast 20 โฃpeople were wounded in Kyiv, and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described the attacks as “one of the largest concentrated strikes” against Ukraine’s energy sector.
The attacks represent a continuation of Russia’s annual strategy to cripple Ukraine’s power grid ahead of theโ winter months โ- typically โขfrom late October through โMarch, with january and โขFebruary beingโ the coldestโฃ – inโฃ an apparent attempt to undermine public morale. โขUkraine’s air force reported intercepting or jamming 103 of 118 Russian drones launched overnight Saturday, while Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed to have downed 32 โUkrainian drones over its own territory.
The potential provision ofโ Tomahawk missiles by the โU.S. has drawn sharp criticism from Moscow. Kremlin spokespersonโ Dmitry Peskov stated Sunday that “the topic ofโ Tomahawks isโค of extreme concern,” adding, “Nowโค is really a very dramatic โคmoment in terms of the fact that tensions are escalating fromโ all sides.”
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of โฃRussian President Vladimirโ Putin, expressed skepticism about the U.S. delivering the missiles, suggesting U.S. policy may fluctuate. “I think we need to calm โdown in this regardโฆsometimes he takes a more forceful approach, and โthen, his tactic is to let go aโ little and step back,” โฃLukashenko said, referring to โขPresident Donald Trump.
Ukraine’s energy sector hasโฃ been a primary target as Russiaโ launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago. The latestโค strikes follow a โขpattern of escalating attacks as winter approaches, highlightingโค the vulnerability of ukraine’s infrastructure and the ongoing humanitarian challenges facing theโฃ country.