In the latest of its continued assaults on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Russia launched a large-scale attack on the night of Friday (November 7), leading to emergency power outages in several oblasts. “The enemy is once again conducting a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure,” said the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine. “Emergency power outages have been introduced in several Ukrainian oblasts as a result.”

Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk stated on Facebook that as soon as the security situation allows, emergency workers and power engineers will begin addressing the aftermath of the attack to restore power supply in the oblasts as quickly as possible. Emergency outages will be lifted once the energy system stabilises. Late on Friday, an air-raid warning was issued across Ukraine due to the take-off of Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) aircraft and the detection of cruise missiles.

At around 1am on Saturday (November 8), another air-raid warning was issued after the take-off of a MiG-31K in Russia. Overnight, Russia also attacked Ukraine with drones and ballistic missiles.

“Thank you to everyone who does everything to keep Ukrainians with light and warmth – energy workers, DSNS employees, local services,” added Ms Hrynchuk. “I urge everyone to keep calm and follow the official information. Despite the plans of the enemy, Ukraine will have light and warmth this winter.”

As winter approaches, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s energy network, targeting key infrastructure and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity. Ukrainians are preparing for another season of widespread blackouts, with President Volodymyr Zelensky warning that the strikes are intended to create an “energy disaster” across the nation.

This latest attack comes just weeks after Russia carried out a major strike on a coal mine in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Sunday, leaving 192 workers trapped underground, according to Ukrainian energy firm DTEK. DTEK – Ukraine’s largest privately owned energy company – has repeatedly come under attack from Russia, which has forced temporary shutdowns at its facilities and disrupted heating supplies to households.

On the other side, earlier this week, Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Volgograd oil refinery, causing fires and damage at the massive Lukoil facility. Videos shared on social media showed explosions and flashes near the refinery around 1am local time.

Meanwhile, Mr Putin was left red-faced when an 11-year-old girl confronted Russia’s president over the treatment of her uncle. Kira questioned the Russian leader over why her uncle, wounded in the arm whilst fighting in the war, had been sent back to the “front row”. Meeting Mr Putin in Red Square in Moscow, the schoolgirl pleaded with him to transfer her uncle “to a good hospital in Russia”. She told him bluntly: “They’re not treating him at all, and now they are sending him back on a mission [to fight].

The Russian dictator appeared rattled and replied, “We’ll definitely find him, all right?” However, he did not promise to extract him from the front line so he could be treated.

Earlier this year, images emerged showing exhausted and injured Russian soldiers gingerly making their way through muddy trenches using walking aids as Putin forced them back to battle. The Kremlin has lost a staggering 220,000 Russians since the war began, including Kira’s father, Vladimir Pimenov, 36, who was killed last year while fighting in the Donetsk region.