俄罗斯对乌克兰的导弹袭击

Russia has launched waves of missile and drone strikes against energy in Ukraine as part of its invasion. From 2022 the strikes targeted civilian areas beyond the battlefield, particularly critical power infrastructure, which is considered a war crime. By mid-2024 the country only had a third of pre-war electricity generating capacity, and some gas distribution and district heating had been hit.

On 10 October 2022 Russia attacked the power grid throughout Ukraine, including in Kyiv, with a wave of 84 cruise missiles and 24 loitering munitions. Further waves struck Ukrainian infrastructure, killing and injuring many, and seriously affecting energy distribution across Ukraine and neighboring countries. By 19 November, nearly half of the country's power grid was out of commission, and 10 million Ukrainians were without electricity, according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. By mid-December, Russia had fired more than 1,000 missiles and drones at Ukraine's energy grid. Several waves targeted Kyiv, including one on 16 May 2023 in which Ukraine said it had intercepted six Kinzhal missiles. During the first four years of the war, Russia launched approximately 12,700 drones and 2,900 missiles against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Deliberately depriving Ukrainians of electricity and heating during the cold winter months was the biggest attack on a nation's health since World War II. The attacks on power stations inflicted large economic and practical costs on Ukraine. The UK Defense Ministry said the strikes were intended to demoralize the population and force the Ukrainian leadership to capitulate. This is widely deemed to have failed.

Background

In the early weeks of the war, aside from purely military fronts, plagued by poor assessments, preparations and blunders, Russia had bombed both information infrastructure and fuel facilities.……

Timeline

September 2022

On 11 September, after Ukrainian successes during its counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian missiles struck the Kharkiv TEC-5, the second largest power plant in Ukraine located near Kharkiv, leaving parts of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Poltava and Sumy Oblast without power.……

October 2022

10 October

On 10 October 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine with a wave of 84 cruise missiles and 24 suicide drones.……

Spillover

Moldova

Nicu Popescu, Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, announced that three Russian missiles launched on 10 October from the Black Sea aimed at Ukraine crossed through Moldovan airspace. He condemned this event in the "strongest possible terms" and called it a breach of international law.……

Poland

On 15 November a missile struck the territory of Poland at the village of Przewodów near the border with Ukraine, killing two civilians at a grain dryer.……

Reactions

Western organizations

United Nations

UN Secretary General António Guterres was "deeply shocked" by the large-scale missile attacks, his spokesman said.

European Union

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, promised the European Union would stand alongside Ukraine for as "long as it takes", speaking in a video message alongside the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, near the EU's eastern border with Russia.……

Remedial actions

United Nations

The UN launched an appeal through its Development Programme for the supply of power transformers, transformer substations, gas turbines and other critical items to Ukraine.……

European Parliament

In addition to €1 billion humanitarian assistance package, the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism provided 500 generators with 300 more funded by charities. Repair kits were also provided.……

Turkish floating powerships

Turkey's Karpowership company was reported, 29 November as being in talks with Ukraine to provide up to three floating power generators.……