Christine Drews Sieger
Russian strikes have left hundreds of thousands without power across Ukraine.
Hundreds of thousands of residents across four Ukrainian regions were left without electricity following heavy Russian missile and drone strikes against energy infrastructure on Sunday night.
Emergency teams worked through sub-zero conditions to restore damaged transmission lines and bring heat back to residential neighborhoods.
The barrage targeted areas where local air defenses were unable to intercept rapid incoming fire.
“The attacks were very intense, and the Russians are trying to take maximum advantage of our lack of interceptor missiles,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram, according to Norwegian daily VG.
Depleted air defenses
The assault highlights Ukraine’s growing vulnerability to ballistic strikes after months of continuous targeting of its power grid.
Norwegian daily VG reported in August that Ukraine was running critically low on US-manufactured Patriot interceptor missiles—a primary defense mechanism against advanced ballistic weapons.
That shortage has also spurred friction between Kyiv and Washington. In October, Zelensky stated that the Pentagon had delayed deliveries of Patriot systems already funded by European partners.
Responding to the criticism, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that Washington was intentionally withholding military aid, though he conceded that an agreed-upon shipment of interceptor missiles had yet to arrive.
Stalled shipments and broken truces
The strikes also challenge recent political developments. A few weeks ago, US President Donald Trump claimed to have negotiated a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, yet military activity against civilian energy facilities has continued unabated.
Russian authorities cited unconfirmed reports that Ukraine had resumed attacks on Russian oil facilities as a justification for the latest strikes—claims that independent observers have not verified.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian repair crews face an uphill race against plunging winter temperatures to stabilize the battered grid, Norwegian daily VG reports.
