The latest strikes were in retaliation for Kiev’s continued targeting of Russian infrastructure, the Defense Ministry has said

FILE PHOTO: A Russian military jet fires missiles at Ukrainian positions. ©  Screenshot from a Russian Defense Ministry video via Sputnik

The Russian Defense Ministry has acknowledged striking parts of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, saying the military used air-launched missiles and drones, which all reached their intended long-range targets.

The operation was ordered “in response to attempts by the Kiev regime to damage Russian energy sites,” and targeted Ukrainian locations “that are used for the production of arms and military equipment,” the ministry said in a regular update on Thursday.

Ukrenergo, the state-owned operator of the electric transmission system, has reported damage in several parts of the country, including Kiev Region, which supplies power to the capital. It claimed the Russian barrage was the seventh of its kind since March 22, and will result in further restrictions on consumption. Rolling blackouts are being imposed nationwide to address the growing shortage of generation capacity.

”To deal with the deficit in the energy system we resort to import and emergency aid from Europe,” the company said, adding that over the past 24 hours Ukraine received over 27,000 megawatt-hours from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Moldova.

 

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Since January, Kiev has been trying to damage Russian oil refineries and storage facilities using long-range kamikaze drones. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow decided to ramp up strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure in response to those attacks. Such operations began after the weather became warm enough for blackouts not to pose a significant humanitarian threat, according to the Russian leader.

Kiev’s latest drone raids took place overnight, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Earlier on Thursday it reported intercepting unmanned aircraft over the Republic of Adygea, and the regions of Bryansk, Krasnodar, Rostov, Belgorod and Oryol.

Damage to oil facilities was caused by drones in Tambov Region and Adygea, while in Krasnodar Region a woman was killed, after a drone struck her home, according to regional officials.