'The energy terrorism continues' Russian missile attacks leave three Ukrainian regions without power as winter sets in

Meduza cannot always promptly verify claims made by officials during wartime.

On November 23, Russian troops launched large-scale missile attacks on multiple regions of Ukraine. Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said that Russian forces were “trying to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.” According to Ukrainian authorities, the strikes left the Kyiv, Odessa, and Chernihiv regions completely without power. Russian shelling also caused Internet outages across the country. “The energy terrorism continues,” Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said of the attacks. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as of Wednesday evening, 67 missiles had struck Ukraine. Police reported Wednesday night that 10 people had died as a result of the day’s missile strikes.

All of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities were disconnected from the power grid. All of the power units at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant were shut off, according to Energoatom representative Leonid Oliynyk. Khmelnytskyi Regional Governor Serhiy Hamaliy reported that the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant had also been disconnected from the grid (leaving the city of Khmelnytskyi with no power). According to Ukrainian media reports, emergency protection measures were put in place at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant, likely due to the sharp decline in electricity consumption. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry reported Wednesday night that a majority of the country’s thermal and hydroelectric power plants had also been temporarily shut down as a result of the attacks.

Lviv was temporarily left with no power, heat, or running water. In the Lviv region, according to local authorities, two missiles hit an electric substation, causing power outages in three districts. Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported Wednesday evening that basic services in the regional capital had been restored.

The attacks left Kyiv with no water, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. After critical infrastructure was hit by a missile, water service was temporarily shut off, prompting long lines to form at stores and humanitarian aid distribution points in the city. Video footage posted online appeared to show multiple cars on fire after missile strikes. Klitschko reported that at least three people died, including a 17-year-old girl, and that at least 11 people were injured. On Wednesday evening, the Ukrainian authorities reported that electricity, heat, and water services had been restored in multiple regions, including the Kyiv region.

Update: On the morning of November 24, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 70 percent of the city still had no electricity. 

Russian missiles hit residential buildings in the Kyiv region. According to Kyiv Regional Governor Oleksiy Kuleba, apartment buildings in the town of Vyshhorod and a private residential area in the town of Chabany were struck. At least one person died and more than 20 were injured. Kuleba reported that critical infrastructure was also damaged by the shelling.

Chișinău and multiple other towns in Moldova lost power, Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu reported. Spînu attributed the outages to the Russian shelling in Ukraine. The breakaway region of Transnistria also experienced energy outages. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that “Russia left Moldova in darkness,” and the Russian Ambassador to Moldova was summoned to Moldova’s Foreign Ministry.