Invasion Of Russia For Nine Months, Ukraine Trying To Recover The Electricity Network Ahead Of Winter

Ukraine's blackout tried to extinguish the fire due to a Russian rocket attack. (Wikimedia Commons/State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Ukraine's energy grid is limping on the verge of collapse, as the country struggles to repair its damaged infrastructure, following the latest wave of Russian cruise missile attacks.

The country has been experiencing a weeks-long emergency blackout amid continued Russian bombings.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said more than two-thirds of the capital's territory was still cut off on Thursday after a series of previous days, although state workers in the capital restored some water services overnight.

"Twenty percent of the capital remains without electricity," said Klitschko, quoted by The National News on November 25.

"Energy companies are making every effort to return it as quickly as possible," he continued.

Thursday marked an even nine-month Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.

Ukraine accused Russian troops of deploying strike drones and firing about 70 cruise missiles across the country on Wednesday.

Officials said 10 people were killed and about 50 others injured in the attack, including a newborn, who died after the maternity ward in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhia region collapsed following a rocket attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that more than 60 Russian rockets hit energy facilities and civilian objects, putting most of the country in darkness.

Separately, Russia's Ministry of Defense said only energy facilities related to Ukraine's "military command and control system" were targeted.

Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the Russian Armed Forces had "launched a high-precision air, sea and land-based long-range gun attack against the military command, the Ukrainian control system and related energy facilities".

He said operations against energy infrastructure were over.

"The target has been achieved, all the objects assigned have been achieved," said Konashenkov.

"I would like to emphasize that no single attack was carried out on targets within the city of Kyiv."

"All the destructions announced by the Kyiv regime in the city were the result of the missiles of foreign air defense systems and Ukraine located in residential areas of the Ukrainian capital," he explained.

It said the targeting of power facilities was aimed at forcing the surrender of Ukraine, after nine months of war forcing Russian troops to fail in most of the targeted territorial destinations.