Russia hits Ukraine energy infrastructure in large-scale missile, drone attack

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack — the most extensive in more than three weeks — against Ukraine overnight, damaging the country's power system, Ukrainian officials said on June 1.

The strike damaged equipment at facilities in five regions across Ukraine, POLITICO reports citing national grid operator Ukrenergo.

Ukraine's air force reported that its air defenses shot down 35 of the 53 missiles and 46 of the 47 attack drones launched by Moscow in the overnight attack.

"Russian terrorists do not abandon their intentions to destroy the fuel and energy sector of the state," said the air force on its Telegram channel. "The Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from achieving its goals on every part of the front."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack in a post on X, saying that emergency workers were on the ground to assess the situation and provide relief.

He also slammed Western allies for their "indecision" in providing military aid to his country, urging them to ramp up support so that Russian President Vladimir Putin would lose "the ability to target civilians and civilian infrastructure" and would ultimately "be forced to stop his terror."

"This is a test of humanity and determination for the free world," Zelenskyy wrote in his post. "Either we pass it together, or the world will suffer further destabilization and chaos."

Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have intensified since March, inflicting more permanent damage to the system — which could have knock-on effects on the EU's power supply.