Changed Russian energy attack tactics complicate Ukraine’s blackout recovery – Energy Ministry

The Russian military has shifted tactics in its energy attacks, now hitting both power generation sites and transmission networks at once, Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy said on Sunday.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to pressure civilians and disrupt the economy. With winter approaching, such attacks are intensifying again, aiming to undermine public morale and strain Ukraine’s air defense resources as demand for electricity rises.

First Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said during a TV appearance that this new approach makes it harder to quickly restore electricity supply and maintain stable operation of the system. 

“The enemy has changed its tactics and is trying to strike simultaneously at power generation facilities as well as transmission and distribution systems,” he said, according to Ukrinform.

Power supplies are gradually stabilizing, Nekrasov said, but full recovery will take time. 

After Russian attacks on November 8, most regions introduced hourly outages and capacity limits for businesses and industry. Kharkiv, Sumy, and Poltava oblasts face the most severe restrictions, with up to three stages of blackouts, while other regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv, experience shorter rolling cuts.

The November 8 assault saw Russia firing over 450 drones and 45 missiles, including Iskander and Kinzhal systems, at nine regions. 

All three Centrenergo thermal plants went offline, leaving much of the country without power for hours, while Naftogaz reported it was the ninth targeted attack on civilian gas infrastructure since October.