Russia-Ukraine war: Russian rockets bombard Ukrainian energy facilities, rocket booster factory

Ukrainian officials said Russia continues to bombard the country’s energy infrastructure following the barrage of strikes in recent weeks. Officials said the latest strikes hit energy facilities as well as a rocket booster factory.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Thursday that the country’s energy facilities and a rocket booster factory were hit by Russian rockets, which Kyiv said were acts of terrorism. Explosions were heard across cities in Odesa, Kyiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhia, in which officials said two people were killed from the blasts.

Shmyhal said that the targets included the Pivdenmash defense firm in Dnipro. While Shmyhal did not disclose further details on the damage, the state-run company Naftogaz said that gas production facilities in eastern Ukraine were either damaged or destroyed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed video footage from a car cam of a driver’s journey through Dnipro that was disrupted by a huge blast.

“No matter what the terrorists want, no matter what they try to achieve, we must get through this winter and be even stronger in the spring than we are now, even more, ready for the liberation of our entire territory than we are now,” said Zelenskyy.

15 people were wounded in the blast in Dnipro, three in the blast in Kharkiv, and at least one was wounded in Odesa, according to local officials. Ukrainian officials also reported intense fighting in parts of eastern Ukraine. DTEK, the largest energy provider in Ukraine, said that long-term power outages might last for days in some parts.

Russia has ramped up its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks since invading in February. Moscow has rejected the charges of terrorism, claiming that its military actions were to eliminate dangerous nationalists and protect Russian speakers.

Kyiv said its air defenses were able to intercept many missiles and drones fired by Russia. Its city officials said four missiles and five Iranian-made Shahed drones were destroyed near the city Thursday.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on the same day that peace in Ukraine was not going to be possible until Russia has completely withdrawn its troops. However, Borrell added that Russia was not ready to withdraw its troops.

“I am afraid Russia is not ready to withdraw and as far as it doesn’t withdraw, peace will not be possible,” Borrell told Reuters.