In the night between Friday, May 31, and Saturday, June 1, Russian military forces have launched a series of coordinated strikes targeting Ukrainian energy facilities.
Two Thermal Power Plants Impacted
The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that precision strikes, utilizing long-range, air, and sea-based weapons, successfully hit all intended targets, including energy facilities vital to Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and several arsenals storing Western-supplied weapons.
This move is reportedly a response to attempts by Kyiv to undermine Russian energy and transport infrastructure and coincides with Russian forces advancing in the Kharkiv region.
DTEK, the largest private investor in the energy sector in Ukraine, confirmed in a press release that two thermal power plants were impacted, reporting no casualties.
The company also highlights the recurrence of these attacks, stating that this is the sixth wave of intense missile and drone attacks within a three-month period and reporting that its facilities have been targeted over 180 times since the onset of the full-scale invasion, with 51 of its workers wounded and three fatalities among the personnel.
Additional Strikes Across Ukraine
That same night, large parts of Ukraine were also targeted by Russian strikes, with “50 missiles of various types and around 50 ‘Shahed’ drones targeting the south, center, and west of Ukraine,” according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X.
Zelensky also called for more international aid, highlighting the necessity of additional air defense systems for Ukraine, including additional Patriot missile systems. He also requested the quicker delivery of F-16s to Ukraine.
Impact on Civilians
While there is currently no available estimation of the impact these strikes on energy facilities may have, it is clear that the first affected will be civilian populations, with DTEK supplying power to more than 11 million people in the region.