Russian forces intensified attacks on Ukrainian power infrastructure Tuesday, killing three energy workers and disrupting electricity and heating to tens of thousands, hours before a new round of U.S.-backed peace talks was scheduled to begin in Geneva. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes, which targeted 12 regions across the country.
“It was a combined strike, specially calculated to cause as much damage as possible to our energy sector,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding a call for diplomacy to be “backed by justice and strength.”
The attacks approach as Russia continues a campaign of targeting Ukrainian energy facilities throughout the winter, aiming to cripple the country’s infrastructure. Ukraine’s deputy energy minister reported that the three workers were killed when a Russian drone struck their vehicle near the Sloviansk power plant, an area in the frontline that Moscow has sought to control in exchange for peace concessions.
Private energy company DTEK reported “incredibly serious” damage to power infrastructure supplying the strategic Black Sea port city of Odesa. “Repairs will take a long time to restore the equipment to working order,” the company stated on social media.
Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said power outages were reported in five regions as a result of the strikes, with heating supply also disrupted in Odesa and Sumy, a regional capital in northern Ukraine near the Russian border.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia launched approximately 400 drones and 29 missiles. While the majority were intercepted, 13 targets within Ukraine were struck.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy assumed the presidency of Ukraine in May 2019, having previously been a performer and entertainer. He has led Ukraine through a period of conflict with Russia, which escalated with the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy has been a vocal advocate for increased international support for Ukraine, including membership in the European Union and NATO.
The trilateral peace talks scheduled for Geneva, backed by the United States, represent a renewed effort to find a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict. The specific agenda and participants beyond Kyiv and Moscow have not been publicly disclosed.