KYIV, Ukraine — On Thursday, Russian forces launched a substantial assault involving missiles and drones targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, prompting heightened concerns regarding Moscow’s strategy to cripple the nation’s power generation capabilities ahead of winter.

“Attacks on energy facilities are occurring across Ukraine,” stated Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko in a Facebook update. He further indicated that emergency power outages are being enacted throughout the country.

Reports of explosions have emerged from various cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and Lutsk, as well as numerous other locations in central and western Ukraine.

Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, shared details on Telegram, asserting that Russia had been amassing missiles with the intent to damage Ukrainian infrastructure and to attack civilians as the temperatures drop. He emphasized that this operation was supported by what he described as “irrational allies,” making reference to North Korea.

In the northern Volyn region, one of the impact zones, regional military chief Ivan Rudnytskyi reported that the power supply has been restricted in response to the strikes.