Russian attack leaves Ukrainians without power in harsh winter

The Russian army launched a new massive missile and drone attack against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, just hours before the resumption of peace talks in Geneva, mediated by the United States.

Part of the wave of thirty missiles and almost 400 drones managed to pierce Ukrainian defenses, causing significant damage to water supply and heating structures in one of the harshest winters in recent years. As a result, thousands of residents were left without electricity in eight different regions of the country.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that many of the targets hit were used by the Ukrainian military to produce and launch drones.

Three workers killed at power plant

At least six civilians were killed in the attacks, in two separate incidents in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Three workers were hit while trying to repair a power plant in the city of Sloviansk. The other three deaths were civilians inside a car hit by a Russian drone in Kramatorsk, also in the Donetsk region.

The two cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, are the largest in the Ukrainian province invaded by Russia but still under partial control of Kiev. The Kremlin wants Zelensky to hand over the two municipalities and the rest of the territory he still controls in this region, in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader, on the other hand, refuses to cede territory still under dispute on the battlefield. The Russians currently control more than three-quarters of the Donetski region.

Negotiations and filter at Starlink

Representatives from the two countries resumed peace negotiations in a two-day meeting in Geneva, mediated by American authorities. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky warned that diplomacy will not work unless it is accompanied by new punitive measures against Russia. The first day discussed political aspects of the conflict. This Wednesday (18), it will be the turn of military issues.

On another front, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko denied that blocking the signal from Starlink satellites had reduced the efficiency of Russian drones. It’s been two weeks since the Ukrainians imposed filters on the connection, to prevent use by the Russians. But Krivoruchko minimized the effects of the measure. According to him, access to Starlink was not widespread on the battlefield, and only occurred to “outwit the enemy”. “The staff at the command post are equipped with all modern, nationally manufactured communication services”, he assured.