Russia strikes Ukraine's energy system using cluster munitions - Ukrainian Energy Minister
Photo: Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko (Getty Images)
Russia has changed its approach to attacking Ukraine's energy system. To cause maximum damage, Russia has begun using cluster munitions for attacks, reports German Galushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine.
“The tactics of these strikes have changed, as has the weaponry. They are now primarily using cluster munitions to cause maximum harm to the energy system. However, the system is currently balanced,” Galushchenko stated.
He emphasized that 2024 was the most challenging year for Ukraine’s energy system compared to 2023 and 2022. According to Galushchenko, Russia conducted 13 large-scale attacks between March and December. Additionally, they targeted the energy sector every night throughout the year.
Over the past month, Russia carried out four large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy system, employing various types of weaponry. Despite this, Galushchenko noted that Ukraine “is holding the line,” and citizens could observe this resilience during the New Year holidays. The energy system remains operational.
“Thanks to the repair campaign, we managed to restore part of the nine gigawatts we lost. I won’t disclose specific figures, but the key takeaway is that the system is balanced today,” Galushchenko added.
Earlier, Galushchenko had described 2024 as the most difficult year for Ukraine’s energy system since the start of the full-scale war.
Notably, Ukraine's energy system continues to recover from 13 massive Russian strikes carried out in 2024.
Emergency restoration work is underway at energy facilities. During the fall and early winter, Russian attacks forced authorities in several regions to reintroduce scheduled power outages.
