Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Friday that Russia deliberately waited for bad weather before launching a major attack on Ukraine’s energy system, reducing the effectiveness of the country’s air defenses by 20-30%.
“The main attack was focused on four regions,” Zelensky said in Kyiv. “I believe the weather conditions affected our ability to respond by about 20-30%.”
During the night, Russian drones and missiles struck Ukrainian energy facilities, causing power and water outages and suspending a metro link along the Dnipro River. The Ministry of Energy reported that 380,000 customers were still without electricity on Friday afternoon.
Zelensky emphasized that 203 energy facilities required air defense protection to defend against Russian strikes. He also noted that Russian forces had attempted an offensive near Dobropillia in the eastern Donetsk region but were repelled after suffering losses.
“The Russians tried several offensive actions; they wanted to unblock their troops but suffered losses and withdrew,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president also announced that the country is awaiting clarification on the 10 air defense systems promised by the U.S., expressing hope that the “coalition of volunteers” would hold a new meeting this month to strengthen support for Ukraine.
