Kyiv: Ukraine's national power grid operator Ukrenergo reported that a massive Russian missile and drone strike targeted energy infrastructure across eight regions, compelling all nuclear power plants in Kyiv-controlled territory to substantially reduce their output.

According to Anadolu Agency, Ukrenergo stated that missile strikes on key high-voltage substations disrupted the output of nuclear power units, necessitating an unloading of all nuclear power plants in the controlled areas. This damage has resulted in a significant power deficit in the national grid, leading to the implementation of emergency blackouts and an increase in the duration of scheduled hourly outages.

Repair operations have begun in locations where the security situation permits, with a focus on restoring electricity to critical infrastructure. Ukrenergo has urged citizens to conserve energy by limiting the use of energy-intensive appliances once power is restored to prevent overloading the fragile system.

Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal highlighted that power substations and overhead lines, described as the backbone of the country's power grid, were targeted. The Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants in western Ukraine were also affected, leading to staff reducing their capacity. Additionally, Ukrenergo sought emergency assistance from neighboring Poland to mitigate the impact.

Private energy provider DTEK reported significant damage to its thermal power stations across various regions due to the strikes. Meanwhile, Russian authorities have yet to provide a comment on the attack.