Over 1 million Ukrainians were left without electricity following a vast assault by Russia on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The attacks, which occurred early on Friday, March 22, targeted multiple cities, including the Dnipro hydroelectric plant. Despite Ukraine’s air defense efforts, the strikes caused extensive power outages and at least five fatalities. Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko characterized this as a substantial attack aimed at destabilizing the nation’s energy system. The assault coincides with increasing tensions, highlighted by the Kremlin’s announcement that Russia is now “in a state of war” with Ukraine.

This escalation comes as the US urged Ukraine to stop its drone attacks on Russian oil refineries to avoid rising global oil prices and potential Russian retaliatory measures. Despite Washington’s concerns and the Biden administration’s warnings regarding the political and economic repercussions of Ukraine’s strikes, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov assured that Ukraine’s operations within Russia had been successful.

Simultaneously, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, faced an “extremely dangerous” situation due to missile strikes, disrupting its connection to the power grid. This raised significant concerns over the potential for a nuclear disaster. Ukrainian and Western officials have long warned about the risks to nuclear safety in the region, especially following the power loss at the plant.

Moreover, the Kremlin has formally declared its military actions in Ukraine a “war,” moving away from its previous term “special military operation.” This change is seen as an effort to boost domestic support for the conflict, amidst the ongoing involvement of Western nations in Ukraine’s defense.

The continued conflict not only escalates tensions between Russia and Ukraine but also implicates broader geopolitical and economic concerns, involving energy security and global market stability.