Zelensky: Russia Deliberately Targeted Ukraine’s Energy Sector on US Election Day

Russian forces launched a massive overnight attack targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on the day of the US congressional elections, with 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles, and 59 cruise missiles used in the assault, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.“The Russians launched a complex, massive strike, calculated primarily to target critical infrastructure,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Nov. 3, adding that the energy sector was the main target, including power generation facilities and substations.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The strikes affected the Odesa, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv, and Rivne regions. Emergency power outages are currently in effect in many cities and communities, the president said.In Kharkiv, Russian forces directly struck a city clinical hospital, injuring 73 people and damaging its cardiology ward, where patients were receiving treatment.Zelensky also reported a rising death toll following a Russian attack on Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. As of his statement, 29 people had been killed and five wounded, while others remained trapped under the rubble.A rescue operation has been underway since the previous day, but efforts are continuing only as the security situation permits, Zelensky said, warning that the area remains under threat of follow-up Russian strikes.He described the timing of the overnight assault as significant, saying Russia likely expected the attack to go largely unnoticed amid the US congressional elections. Other Topics of Interest Russia's Giant Kaliningrad Radar Could Spy Deep Into Europe The suspected 3,000-kilometer-range system is part of a wider military buildup in the exclave, with more than 20 signal and EW facilities reportedly identified. “It is highly significant that this has taken place on the day of the US congressional elections,” Zelensky wrote. “The Russians likely assume that America will fail to notice this ‘signal.’”He urged the United States and other partners to help Ukraine strengthen its air defenses, warning that Russia would continue its missile attacks unless Ukraine could better protect its skies.“Ukraine must be assisted in defending its skies; otherwise, Russia will never cease its missile attacks,” Zelensky said, adding that the United States had the capacity to help build “a just and secure peace.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.