During 2024, the Russian Federation carried out about 1,100 missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. This was announced by Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Serhiy Kyslytsia, during a meeting of the UN Security Council.
Points of attention
- The Russian Federation has fired over 1,100 missiles at Ukraine's energy system in a year, threatening the security of the region.
- Russian troops are using ammunition with toxic substances, which has resulted in the injuries of over two thousand Ukrainian soldiers.
- Putin is strategically attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, trying to deprive it of key resources for generating electricity.
- Attacks on Ukraine's energy sector could potentially lead to radiation releases due to the loss of cooling function of nuclear reactors.
- International experts emphasize the threat that Russian aggression against Ukraine's energy infrastructure poses to the security of the region.
Russia carried out the 12th massive strike on Ukraine's energy sector in a year
According to Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Serhiy Kyslytsia, the 12th massive attack on the country's energy system this year took place on December 13. Russia used both cruise and ballistic missiles for these attacks.
This is the number of missiles aimed exclusively at energy facilities, the representative of Ukraine emphasized.
Serhiy Kyslytsia also reported that Russian troops continue to use ammunition with toxic chemicals. Since February 2023, 4.95 thousand such cases have been recorded, which led to the injuries of more than two thousand Ukrainian soldiers.
"Guided aerial bombs are among the most dangerous. In one week, Russia dropped about 500 of these bombs on Ukrainian military positions and residential areas," Kyslytsia added.
What is Putin currently pursuing?
Foreign experts draw attention to the fact that Russia has been attacking Ukraine's energy sector since the first days of the war.
However, while previously enemy strikes were aimed at thermal and hydroelectric power plants, now the aggressor country is trying to strike at power distribution substations associated with nuclear power plants.
Thus, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is trying to deprive Ukraine of its last large electricity production capacity.
Sean Burney, a nuclear expert at Greenpeace Ukraine, commented on the actions of the aggressor country. According to him, substations at nuclear power plants not only transfer energy generated by nuclear reactors to the power system, but also supply electricity back to the nuclear power plant, which is needed to cool the reactors and spent fuel.
"The loss of cooling function in one or more reactors will inevitably lead to nuclear fuel meltdown and a large-scale radiation release," the specialist emphasized.
