Russian missiles and drones killed at least 11 civilians and injured 40 others in Ukraine on Monday in what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “horrific attacks”, while the nation’s energy grid buckled under temperatures in excess of 36 degrees Celsius, hit by the deadly heatwave that has afflicted much of Europe.
Russian drone and missile attacks have decimated Ukraine’s energy network since Moscow invaded in February 2022, causing tens of billions of dollars worth of damage and leading to frequent power outages in the coldest and hottest parts of the year, as it cannot handle surges in demand.
Some customers in eight Ukrainian regions were left without power on Monday after Russian strikes, while very hot weather drove up electricity use as people turned on air conditioners, grid operator Ukrenergo said.
Ukraine’s record temperature is 42 degrees Celsius, recorded in the eastern city of Luhansk – now under Russian occupation – in August 2010.
Current scorching temperatures are a “a serious test for equipment that has been operating under wartime conditions for more than four years and has withstood numerous attacks”, said Sergii Kovalenko, CEO of the Yasno energy company, speaking over the weekend.
