A Russian missile attack has destroyed a key energy facility in Ukraine as Russia continues to lose ground in its war with Ukraine, raising fears of Europe’s continuing energy crisis.
The two countries have been fighting over areas in southern Ukraine that the Russian military had previously annexed. The Ukrainian military claims to have liberated 75 towns and villages in the last month alone, although they say things have begun to slow down.
Ukraine did not specify which energy facilities were damaged for safety reasons, but said no one was killed. Many villages in Ukraine were without electricity after the strike, and repair crews are said to have warned residents of the possibility of future power outages.
Russian missile attacks over the past week are believed to have killed dozens of people, as well as damaged residential buildings and power stations. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said his military would continue to carry out selective missile strikes, with some targets remaining.
“Putin may hope that by increasing the misery of the Ukrainian people, President Zelenskyy may be inclined to negotiate an arrangement that will allow Russia to retain some of the stolen territory in the east or Crimea, ” Ian Williams, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told Related press.
As Russia maintains its hold on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Europe’s largest – worries about ongoing energy problems persist. The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi said unstable conditions had caused the power plant to temporarily lose power, although Ukrainian engineers restored backup power lines to alleviate the problem. .
Concerns persisted as reports of Russia trying to get power plant employees to sign employment contracts with a Russian nuclear energy company. Employees are facing “unacceptable pressure” to sign contracts, Grossi said in a statement statement Friday.
