Ukrainian energy ministry halting energy exports due to Russian missile strikes

The Ukrainian energy ministry said it will halt exports of electricity following Russian missile strikes on energy infrastructure on Monday.

"Today's missile strikes, which hit the thermal generation and electrical substations, forced Ukraine to suspend electricity exports from Oct. 11, 2022 to stabilize its own energy system," the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Russia earlier on Monday launched its most widespread missile strikes on Ukraine since the start of the conflict, raining cruise missiles on cities and knocking out power supplies, in what Russian President Vladimir Putin called revenge for a blown up bridge.

Ukraine's energy minister Herman Halushchenko said the attacks on the energy system were "the biggest during the entire war."

In a TV broadcast he said that missile strikes "on the entire chain of supply (were made) in order to make switching supply as difficult as possible."

In June, Ukrainian energy ministry said it was hoping to bring in 1.5 billion euros ($1.45 billion) from electricity exports to the EU, its main export market for energy since the war began, by the end of the year.

Russia launched its invasion on Ukraine on Feb 24. It has repeatedly denied attacks on civilian targets.