Russian Attacks Target Ukraine's Energy Infrastructure, Causing Widespread Outages

Kyiv, Oct 30 (AP) A sustained Russian campaign targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure has resulted in power outages and restrictions across all regions of the country, officials reported on Thursday. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko termed Moscow's actions as "systematic energy terror." The attacks, part of Russia's regular assaults on Ukraine’s power grid as winter nears, claimed the lives of at least two individuals and wounded 17, including children between the ages of 2 and 16, authorities stated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Russia deployed over 650 drones and more than 50 missiles of various types during the assault. The centralized public infrastructure essential for water, sewage, and heating systems in Ukrainian cities faces interruptions due to the blackouts.

For months, these attacks have been aimed at diminishing Ukrainian morale and disrupting weapon production and other war-related activities almost four years after Russia's comprehensive invasion of its neighbor. "Russia continues its systematic energy terror—attacking the lives, dignity, and warmth of Ukrainians as winter approaches. Their goal is to cast Ukraine into darkness; ours is to keep the light on," stated Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko.

She emphasized that to halt the "terror," Ukraine requires more air defense systems, stronger sanctions, and maximum pressure on Russia, alluding to unsuccessful U.S.-led diplomatic attempts to bring Russia to negotiations for a peace settlement. In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, 17 people were injured, including a 2-year-old girl, according to regional authorities. Rescuers managed to extract a man from the ruins of a building, but he did not survive, shared Ivan Fedorov, head of the regional administration in Zaporizhzhia.

Two energy infrastructure sites were impacted in the western Lviv region, near the Polish border, according to local officials. As a precautionary response to the Russian offensive on Ukrainian soil, the Polish military deployed Polish and allied NATO aircraft. The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency confirmed that regional airports in Radom and Lublin were closed to allow the military unimpeded operational capability.

(AP) SKS SKS

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