‘Critically important’ Ukrainian energy facilities were struck by Russia in response to Ukraine’s long-range missile strikes on a Russian military airfield near the city of Taganrog, the Russian Defense Ministry reported Friday, according to RT. Ukrainian energy minister German Galuschenko said that the country’s electrical infrastructure is now under massive attack, according to RT.
“In response to the use of American long-range weapons, Russia’s Armed Forces launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons and UAVs on critical fuel and energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine that support the operation of the military industrial complex,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement published on its official Telegram channel, according to RT on Friday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Friday strike was conducted due to the Ukrainian attack on Taganrog. Following the Wednesday missile barrage, Russia signaled it will strike back.
“This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered, and appropriate measures will be taken,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement, according to RT.
The Russian ‘answer’ appears to be a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian power grid.
“According to accounts on social media, explosions have been heard in Odessa, Ivano-Frankovsk and other regions. Strikes have been reported in the town of Burtysh in Ivano-Frankovsk Region, where a key power plant is located,” RT said Friday. “Ukrainian media have reported emergency power outages in Kiev, Odessa and elsewhere. In Ternopol Region, some 50 percent of residents are currently without electricity, according to local authorities. Residents of Kharkov Region have reported sightings of missiles heading towards Dnepr (Dnepropetrovsk) Region, where Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric station is located.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Russia’s retaliatory strike for the Taganrog attack using Western-made weaponry “will follow at a time and in a manner deemed appropriate. But it will definitely follow.”
It now appears as though the promised retaliation has been carried out.