In what Kyiv described as the most devastating attacks against its energy infrastructure in two years of war, Russia pounded electrical power facilities in much of Ukraine on Friday.
According to Reuters, the missile and drone attacks, which also hit the country's largest hydroelectric power plant over the Dnipro River, were portrayed by Russia as revenge for Ukrainian assaults during its presidential election.
Russia Attacks Electrical Power Facilities in Ukraine, Killing 5
The attacks resulted in the deaths of at least five individuals and more than a million others without electricity, prompting Ukraine to urgently seek power assistance from Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
Kyiv said the strikes caused blackouts in seven regions, with the worst outages being in Kharkiv, the central Dnipropetrovsk region, and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west.
The Associated Press reported that the Dnipro plant stopped its operation after sustaining six missile hits that caused massive damage. Aside from the dam, Kyiv said around 20 substations and electricity stations had been hit. Reports said more than 30 people were injured.
Citing the Ukrainian air force, Reuters reported that Russia fired 88 missiles and 63 Shahed drones, with only 37 and 55 of which, respectively, being shot down.
In his video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the necessity of more modern air defense systems and the political will of Ukraine's allies to counter Russia's aggression.
"Russian terror is only possible now because we don't have enough modern air defense systems which, to be honest, requires enough political will to provide them. All our partners know what is needed and who can make truly life-saving decisions," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy has been urging Western allies for weeks to provide the country with additional air defense systems and ammunition. However, military aid to Ukraine from Western nations has recently slowed, particularly a $60 billion US aid stalled by political disputes in Congress.
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Ukraine Scraps Russia 'Sponsors of War' Blacklist
After a backlash from countries from Austria to China, Ukraine has decided to scrap its "sponsors of war" blacklist, a move that is aimed at pressuring companies engaging business with Russia.
According to Reuters, the blacklist included some 50 major companies identified as operating in Russia and indirectly supporting the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.
The end of the blacklist, which coincided with Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities, comes as Ukraine seeks to maintain fragile international support. Kyiv has faced criticism for the name-and-shame campaign's subjective nature and the embarrassment it caused to targeted firms.
While some companies altered their business practices in response to being listed, others vehemently opposed their inclusion and resorted to political influence to be removed from the list.
People familiar with dismantling the list told Reuters that Austria, China, France, and Hungary, angered by the naming of their companies, exerted pressure on Ukraine over the list.
In February, China demanded that Ukraine remove 14 Chinese firms from the list to "eliminate negative impacts."
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