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More than a million Ukrainian households were plunged into darkness after Russia launched a significant assault on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Thursday. Ukrainian authorities described the attack, involving nearly 200 missiles and drones, as "massive". This marks Russia's second major strike on Ukraine's power grid in less than two weeks, sparking concerns that the Kremlin aims to debilitate the country's power capabilities before the onset of winter.

Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announced on Facebook that emergency power outages were implemented across the nation as attacks targeted energy facilities throughout Ukraine. Historically, Russia has aimed to disrupt Ukraine's electricity supply during winter months to weaken civilian morale and hamper the defense industry, which is currently engaged in producing military assets like missiles, drones, and armored vehicles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the latest attacks as an "insidious escalation," highlighting that Kalibr cruise missiles equipped with cluster munitions struck civilian areas. Cluster munitions, notorious for their danger to civilians during and after attacks, release multiple small bombs over a large area.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed responsibility for hitting 17 Ukrainian targets, including military facilities, with 100 drones and 90 missiles. This campaign is Russia's 11th large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this year alone. However, the Ukrainian air force reported a successful defense, shooting down 76 cruise missiles, three other types of missiles, and 32 drones. They also mentioned that electronic warfare likely jammed 62 Russian drones.

Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia appears to be stockpiling missiles for another pre-winter offensive aimed at the power grid, a tactic described as "weaponizing winter." Approximately half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed in nearly three years of conflict, resulting in frequent rolling blackouts. Western allies have been assisting Ukraine with air defense systems and funds for rebuilding efforts.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants last March for two senior Russian military officers on war crimes charges related to attacks on civilian infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia's military has been gaining an advantage in recent months, leveraging its superior manpower and equipment in eastern Ukraine, though the advances have been painstaking and costly.

At a recent summit in Kazakhstan, Putin threatened to utilize the new intermediate-range ballistic missile, Oreshnik, against "decision-making centers" in Kyiv. He claimed the missile, which flies at ten times the speed of sound and carries six warheads, is capable of penetrating modern air defenses and underground bunkers. Putin described its destructive power as comparable to that of a nuclear weapon.

Thursday's attacks resulted in explosions across several cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Rivne, Khmelnytskyi, and Lutsk. President Zelenskyy urged Western nations to expedite the delivery of promised air defense weapons, emphasizing their immediate necessity. Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, remarked that Russia had prepared for these attacks with help from allies such as North Korea, intending to wage a winter campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.