‘Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Kyiv’s leadership of potential strikes on key decision-making centers using Russia’s newly developed ballistic missile, Oreshnik. The warning came after Russia staged a coordinated attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which President Putin described as a response to the use of US-supplied Atacms missiles by Ukraine.’

The overnight attacks included drone and missile strikes at Ukraine’s power grid, where more than a million lost electricity. No deaths have been reported, but heavy damage has been done as Ukrainian officials report the usage of cluster munitions.

Ukraine Strikes Back With Western-Supplied Missiles

Ukraine has also recently launched Atacms and Storm Shadow missiles from Western allies, including the US, UK, and France, which hit their first targets inside Russian territory, marking the first long-range weapons to be used in the war since its February 2022 launch.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the threats, saying there will be a “tough response” to what he called Russian “blackmail.” In his nightly address, Zelensky accused Putin of prolonging the war and trying to force Western leaders to accede to Moscow’s demands.’

Oreshnik Missile: New Weapon in Russia’s Arsenal

According to reports, the Oreshnik missile that supposedly was used in this attack has recently gained popularity after statements by Putin, as a ballistic arm capable of avoiding interception. However, U.S. officials reason that Russia has such missiles only in limited quantities and remains in the experimental stage.

The Kremlin said that Moscow would do whatever it takes to prevent Ukraine from obtaining nuclear weapons, citing recent talk about Western discussions on arming Kyiv.

Humanitarian Crisis: Power Outages

The strikes led to widespread outages as Kyiv authorities announced that all missiles targeting the capital were intercepted during a nine-and-a-half-hour attack. Other cities like Odessa, Kharkiv, and Lutsk suffered severe damage.

Emergency power cuts were imposed to stabilize the grid, while over 500,000 homes in the Lviv region and 280,000 in Rivne were cut off from electricity. Authorities in Kherson warned its residents they might be in the dark for days.

Winter’s Looming Threat

As temperatures drop and Ukraine experiences its first snowfalls, fears grow of further attacks aimed at crippling the nation’s energy system during winter. Ukrainian officials believe Russia has been stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles to launch a sustained assault on the power grid as the colder months set in.’

DTEK, the country’s energy company, reported damage to its thermal plants in an eleventh major attack on Ukraine’s energy system this year. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, DTEK’s plants have been attacked over 190 times.

International Support for Ukraine’s Energy Resilience

‘Efforts to reestablish power are underway, aided by €107m (£89m) in equipment aid from the European Commission and the US. As Ukraine prepares for another brutal winter, international support is key to helping the country rebuild its energy infrastructure and withstand the continued attacks.’