Ukraine warned today of possible blackouts at the end of the day, with the national electricity company predicting a “particularly difficult” situation, following a new “massive” Russian attack targeting the Ukrainian energy grid.

The Russian powerss launched on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday new “mass attack” with missiles and drones against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, injuring at least six people, Ukrainian authorities announced.

These attacks had a target electricity generation and transmission facilities in Poltava, Kirovograd, Zaporizhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia provinces, according to Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK announced that three of its thermal power plants had been “severely damaged”. It stated that its facilities have been bombed approximately 180 times since the beginning of the war in February 2022, including five times in the last six weeks.

The national electricity company Ukrenergo warned for its part that “from 18:00 to 23:00, power outages are possible throughout Ukraine.” It asked its customers to “use electricity sparingly” in order to deal with what is expected to be a “particularly difficult” situation.

“The Russians inflicted a new massive blow to thermal and hydroelectric plants,” the company said, adding that it was the fifth “massive” attack on the energy grid since March 22.

“The enemy does not abandon his plans to deprive the Ukrainians of light. New massive attack against our energy industry!” Galushchenko wrote on Telegram.

In Kherson, in southern Ukraine, there is also a “partial power outage” due to “enemy strikes,” its governor, Oleksandr Prokhudin, said.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 39 of the 55 missiles fired by Russia, as well as 20 of the 21 drones.

Local authorities spoke of at least six injured overnight: one in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, one in Kirovograd — including an 8-year-old child — two in Brovary, near Kiev, and at least two more in the Ukrainian capital.

Russia has been bombing Ukraine’s energy grid for months, causing severe damage and large-scale blackouts.

The target is the railway network

According to Kiev’s military command, Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers fired several cruise missiles at the capital, which was put on high alert for three hours. All the missiles were shot down, the same source said.

In the province of Kherson, the railway network was also targeted.

“The railway lines were damaged,” Prokudin explained, adding that traffic on one of the lines has been restricted.

Russia has recently stepped up its attacks on Ukraine’s railway network, which is vital for trade, transport and military supply.

With its attacks, Moscow is trying to prevent the resupply of the Ukrainian army, mainly from the West.