Emergency services respond after Russia missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, November 8, 2025

EA on Ukraine’s War and Politics 24: Will Putin’s Invasion End in His Fall from Power?

Saturday’s Coverage: Power Cuts as Russia Attacks Energy Infrastructure and Residential Blocks

UPDATE 0627 GMT:

Despite international sanctions, millions of tons of Russian oil have been traded through a Singapore port part-owned by Australia’s Macquarie Bank and potentially sold to Australian businesses.

Australia stopped buying fuel directly from Russia after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, Canberra has imported more than 3 million tons of Russian-origin oil products since 2023, concludes the Europe-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Australia’s sanctions allow purchases via third countries, such as Singapore.

Since January 2023, Australia has bought nearly a quarter of its refined petroleum imports from Singapore, which received more than 22 million tons of refined oil products from Russia.

A third of Singapore’s purchases went to the Jurong Port Universal Terminal, part-owned by a Macquarie Bank investment fund.

Companies with Australian operations have also legally bought oil from Indian facilities with heavy Russian imports.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine is facing daily power cuts of 8 to 16 hours after Russia’s mass missile and drone attacks.

Russia targeted energy infrastructure with 458 drones and 45 cruise and ballistic missiles early Saturday. Air defenses downed 406 of the drones but only nine of the missiles, which included hypersonic Kinzhals.

At least seven civilians were murdered by the attacks, the ninth set since October 1. About half of Ukraine’s gas production has been affected.

State energy operator Ukrenergo announced the cuts. State power firm Centerenergo said its generating capacity “is down to zero” as all three of its thermal power plants were hit.

Ukrenergo said repairs are being carried out with diversions of sources of energy. The situation was stabilized, but regions including Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Chernigiv, and Sumy could have regular power cuts, said Energy Ninister Svitlana Grynchuk on Saturday night.

“The enemy inflicted a massive strike with ballistic missiles, which are extremely difficult to shoot down. It is hard to recall such a number of direct strikes on energy facilities since the beginning of the invasion,” Grynchuk told a Ukrainian broadcaster.

Ukraine Foreign Minister: Russia Targeted Nuclear Power Substations

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russian drones targeted two nuclear power substations deep in western Ukraine.

The substations power the Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear plants, around 120km and 95km (75 miles and 59 miles) from the city of Lutsk.

Sybiha called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to intervene, and he urged Russia’s largest energy customers China and India to press Moscow to halt attacks.

“There needs to be global pressure to force Moscow to stop its nuclear blackmail,” Sybiha emphasized.