Russian strike hits Ukraine’s largest dam, Kyiv says, amid attack on energy infrastructure – Europe live
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Ukraine’s state hydropower company said today that a Russian strike hit the country’s largest dam, the DniproHES in Zaporizhzhia, but that there was no risk of a breach, Reuters reported.
“There is currently a fire at the station. Emergency services and energy workers are working on the spot, dealing with the consequences of numerous airstrikes,” said Ukrhydroenerho, which runs Ukraine’s network of dams.
Herman Halushchenko, the Ukrainian energy minister, said it was the largest attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the recent past.
“The goal is not just to damage, but to try again, like last year, to cause a large-scale failure of the country’s energy system,” he wrote on Facebook, according to Reuters.
In a sharply-worded post this morning responding to Russian attacks targeting energy infrastructure, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said “Russian missiles have no delays, unlike aid packages for Ukraine.”
He added:
“Shahed” drones have no indecision, unlike some politicians.
It is critical to understand the cost of delays and postponed decisions.
Patriot systems must protect Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia; air defense is required to protect people, infrastructure, homes, and dams.
Our partners know exactly what is needed. They can definitely support us. These are necessary decisions. Life must be protected from these savages from Moscow.
This night, Russia launched over 60 "Shahed" drones and nearly 90 missiles of various types at Ukraine. The world sees the Russian terrorists' targets as clearly as possible: power plants and energy supply lines, a hydroelectric dam, ordinary residential buildings, and even a… pic.twitter.com/5dX2fAMMiE
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 22, 2024
Here are the latest images from Ukraine this morning.
Ukrainian emergency workers clear the debris at the site of Russia's air attack, in Zaporizhzhia. Photograph: Andriy Andriyenko/AP
A medical worker comforts a woman at the site of Russia's air attack, in Zaporizhzhia. Photograph: Andriy Andriyenko/AP
More than 1 million consumers across Ukraine were without power after overnight Russian air strikes on energy facilities, Reuters reported citing a top presidential official.
The strikes had affected around 700,000 residents in Kharkiv region, at least 200,000 each in the southern Odesa and southeastern Dnipropetrovsk regions and 110,000 in the Poltava region, according to Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy head of the presidential administration.
After the latest round of Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Ukraine’s defence ministry reiterated a plea to the west for more air defences.
“Ukraine needs more air defense systems to protect our people and infrastructure from missile attacks. The world needs to defeat russian evil,” it said.
Overnight, russia attacked Ukraine with more than 60 Shahed UAVs and almost 90 missiles of various types. The main targets for russian terrorists are energy facilities, including Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant, and apartment buildings.
Ukraine’s state hydropower company said today that a Russian strike hit the country’s largest dam, the DniproHES in Zaporizhzhia, but that there was no risk of a breach, Reuters reported.
“There is currently a fire at the station. Emergency services and energy workers are working on the spot, dealing with the consequences of numerous airstrikes,” said Ukrhydroenerho, which runs Ukraine’s network of dams.
Herman Halushchenko, the Ukrainian energy minister, said it was the largest attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the recent past.
“The goal is not just to damage, but to try again, like last year, to cause a large-scale failure of the country’s energy system,” he wrote on Facebook, according to Reuters.
Ukraine said this morning that Russian drones and missiles targeted power plants, energy supply lines, a hydroelectric dam, and residential buildings.
Over 60 drones & nearly 90 missiles of various types, 🇷🇺 launched to attack Ukraine today
The targets were power plants & energy supply lines, hydroelectric dam, residential buildings, even a trolleybus
Good morning and welcome back to the blog, where today we will be looking at the latest updates from an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels and from Ukraine.
