Updated: Russian strike damages Naftogaz facilities in Poltava Oblast
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from Naftogaz Group regarding damage to facilities in Poltava Oblast.
Russia launched an aerial strike against Ukraine's power grid overnight on Feb. 11, forcing the country's energy operator to implement emergency power outages, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said.
The attack, which included strikes on gas infrastructure overnight and continued into the morning, has further strained Ukraine's energy grid.
"At night, Russia attacked gas infrastructure. As of this morning, the energy sector is still under attack," Halushchenko said.
Russian forces launched a combined missile and drone attack overnight, targeting primarily Poltava Oblast, the Air Force reported. Production facilities of Naftogaz Group in the region were damaged, the state-owned oil and gas company said.
"We are grateful to all our colleagues who continue to produce, store, and supply gas to all categories of consumers in this extremely difficult time," said Roman Chumak, CEO of Naftogaz.
The full consequences of the attack are being determined.
The emergency shutdowns were lifted at around 10:50 a.m. local time, according to Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state energy operator.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the start of its full-scale invasion, aiming to disrupt power supplies and weaken civilian morale.
In September, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian strikes had destroyed all of Ukraine's thermal power plants and most of its hydroelectric capacity.
Ukrainian authorities and energy companies have been working to repair and reinforce the grid ahead of expected renewed attacks.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
