Post by : Meena Ariff

On Monday, a wave of missile attacks targeted Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, officials reported, damaging vital energy infrastructure and wounding at least one civilian.

Five missiles hit various locations around Kharkiv, impacting facilities responsible for heating, electricity, and water supply. The assaults occurred as freezing temperatures compounded the difficulties faced by residents already enduring extensive power outages.

According to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, the strikes appeared designed to disrupt daily life rather than military operations. He stated that the anticipated damage to essential services was aimed at instilling fear among locals, plunging the city into darkness during the winter months.

In a separate attack, Russian military forces targeted an industrial site in Dnipro owned by the US agricultural entity Bunge, resulting in a significant spillage of around 300 metric tons of sunflower oil, as storage facilities suffered damage.

Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov announced that cleanup efforts were underway with municipal teams working to contain the spill using sand and gravel. He also mentioned that a key road along the river would remain closed for two to three days to facilitate these operations.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha claimed the assault on the US-owned facility was intentional, highlighting multiple attempted strikes on the site. He remarked that this incident illustrates Russia's systematic targeting of American businesses operating within Ukraine.

Sybiha underscored that these attacks reflect Russia’s blatant disregard for the ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the United States to resolve the drawn-out conflict.

Bunge confirmed that no personnel were hurt during the incident and stated that the company is evaluating the damages while coordinating with local on-site authorities to mitigate environmental repercussions and restore operational capabilities.

Kharkiv, situated near the Russian border and home to over one million residents, has faced recurrent targeting in recent months. Local energy providers indicated that even prior to these strikes, service interruptions had left citizens with power for only parts of the day.

Since November, Russia has escalated its offensive on Ukraine’s energy and logistical networks. Heavy attacks in late December resulted in large parts of Kyiv losing heating, while Odesa endured nearly complete power outages for several days. Heating facilities in the Chernihiv region and southern Kherson have also been struck.

#Global News