On the evening of February 26, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reported on the outcomes of an emergency meeting of the energy headquarters convened after a large-scale missile attack by Russia on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The meeting analyzed reports from relevant services regarding the aftermath of the nighttime shelling.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Emergency Shutdowns and Consumption Restrictions
The minister noted that as a result of the enemy strikes, several high-voltage lines experienced emergency shutdowns. This forced energy workers to reduce the output of nuclear generation to maintain balance in the energy system. The operator “Ukrenergo” had to implement additional consumption restriction schedules in regions with electricity shortages.
“Unfortunately, due to the shelling, we had emergency shutdowns of several high-voltage lines today. To balance the system, we had to forcibly reduce the output of nuclear generation. Additionally, ‘Ukrenergo’ introduced extra restriction schedules across the entire ‘deficit’ part of the energy system,” Shmyhal stated.
As part of international cooperation, Ukrainian specialists are visiting energy facilities in Slovakia, Austria, and Croatia to assess the possibility of obtaining equipment from inactive thermal power plants. Moreover, over 23 million euros from partners are expected to arrive soon at the Energy Support Fund.
Scale of the Attack and Impact on Infrastructure
On the night of February 26, Russia launched a massive airstrike across the entire territory of Ukraine, using two “Zircon” anti-ship missiles, eleven “Iskander-M” or S-400 ballistic missiles, two X-69 guided aviation missiles, twenty-four X-101 cruise missiles, and 420 kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian Air Forces reported the successful destruction of 32 missiles and 374 drones.
As a result of the strikes, residents of Kharkiv, Kirovohrad regions, Zaporizhzhia, and Kryvyi Rih were affected. Energy infrastructure facilities were damaged in Poltava and Odesa regions.
Russian troops, using various types of weaponry—including strike drones, missiles, guided aerial bombs, and multiple launch rocket systems—systematically attack Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure in all regions of the country.
The Ukrainian authorities and international organizations unanimously classify these attacks as war crimes of the Russian Federation, emphasizing their targeted nature. Targeted shelling of life-support systems for the population and medical facilities, aimed at depriving people of electricity, heat, water supply, communication, and medical assistance, exhibits signs of genocidal actions.
During the full-scale war, Russia commits various types of crimes that, according to human rights defenders and researchers, fall under the definition of genocide: from public calls for the destruction of Ukrainians as a people to shelling of vital infrastructure, persecution of pro-Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories, destruction of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, deportation of children, and destruction of cultural heritage.
The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, defines genocide as actions aimed at the complete or partial destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The countries that are parties to the Convention are obligated to prevent such crimes and punish those responsible.
The leadership of Russia denies that its army deliberately targets the civilian infrastructure of Ukrainian cities and villages during the full-scale war, destroying hospitals, schools, kindergartens, and energy and water supply facilities.