Russian missiles kills 5 in Ukraine, destroys energy facility
On Monday morning, Russia conducted a massive aerial assault on Ukraine, launching over 100 missiles and approximately 100 attack drones during rush hour. The coordinated strike targeted energy facilities nationwide, resulting in at least five fatalities and widespread disruptions.
Ukrainian officials reported significant power outages and water supply disruptions in multiple regions, including parts of Kyiv. The attack, occurring 2.5 years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, affected critical infrastructure across at least 10 regions.
Reuters notes that this assault was one of the most intense in weeks. It coincided with Ukrainian advances in a cross-border operation into Russia’s Kursk region and incremental Russian progress in eastern Ukraine, approaching the strategic hub of Pokrovsk.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the attack on Telegram as one of the largest combined strikes, with over a hundred missiles and around a hundred Shahed drones, targeting critical civilian infrastructure. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed damage in 15 regions, with Zelenskiy highlighting significant damage to the energy sector.
Since the invasion’s start, Ukraine has developed long-range attack drones, including a new “drone missile” recently announced by Zelenskiy. These drones have been used to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting oil refineries and military airfields.
Russia’s defense ministry, according to Interfax, claimed that high-precision weapons were used to hit crucial Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which they allege supports the military-industrial complex.
In response to the assault, Poland’s military and its NATO allies were put on alert. Affected regions included Rivne, Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa, with damage reported in at least seven of these areas. Moldova, with its power grid connected to Ukraine’s, experienced minor disruptions. In the Sumy region, a railway infrastructure facility was also struck.
