This photo shows thick smoke rising over buildings in Kiev during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on August 26, 2024.
Roman Pilipe | AFP | Getty Images
Russia launched more than 100 missiles and about 100 attack drones into Ukraine during Monday’s morning rush hour, killing at least five people and attacking energy facilities across the country, officials said.
Power and water outages were reported in many places, including parts of Kiev, and officials said the attack, which comes 2-1/2 years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, targeted power or water supplies in at least 10 areas. Other critical infrastructure.
Russia sharply stepped up its crackdown on Ukraine’s power grid in March in what Kyiv said looked like a concerted effort to cripple the system ahead of winter when people need power and heating the most.
Monday’s salvo of missiles and drones was Russia’s most intense in weeks as Ukraine mounts a massive cross-border incursion into Russia’s southern Kursk region and Russian troops advance steadily in eastern Ukraine, closing in on Pokrov Sk transport hub.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: “This was one of the largest joint attacks. More than a hundred missiles of various types and about a hundred Shahid drones were used. With Russia Like most previous attacks, this one was stealthy and targeted critical civilian infrastructure.
According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, 15 regions suffered damage. Zelensky said the energy sector had suffered “a lot of damage”.
Senior Kiev official urges allowing long-range strikes against Russia.
Ukraine did not have powerful long-range weapons at the start of the invasion, but has since developed several models of long-range attack drones and used them to strike targets in Russia, from oil refineries to military airfields.
Zelensky said over the weekend that Ukraine has developed a new type of “drone missile” for use in attacking Russia that is more powerful and faster than other hardware in Kiev’s arsenal.
The Interfax news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that Russian troops used high-precision weapons to attack important energy infrastructure in Ukraine, saying that these infrastructures provide support for the military-industrial complex.
Damage reported
Poland’s military said warplanes from Poland and its allies were on alert after Russian missiles and drones struck areas in western Ukraine bordering NATO members.
Regions with targeted power or critical infrastructure include Rivne and Volin in the northwest, Khmelnytsk in the southwest, Zhitomir in the north, Lviv in the west, and Dnipropetrov in central Ukraine Sk, Kirovolad and Vinnitsa, Zaporozhye in the southeast and Odessa in the south.
Officials said facilities in at least seven of those areas were attacked or damaged.
Neighboring Moldova, whose power grid is connected to Ukraine’s, reported small outages on its grid.
On August 6, Ukraine launched an invasion of Russia from the northeastern region of Sumy. The authorities stated that a railway infrastructure was attacked, but did not disclose which facility or provide more details.
At least five people were confirmed dead in the Dnipropetrovsk region, including a 69-year-old man, local officials said. Other regions are located in Zaporozhye, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Volin regions.
After reporting the explosion, the mayor of Lutsk said that an apartment building was damaged.
The explosion also rocked central Kiev and air defense systems could be heard attacking incoming targets on the outskirts of the capital.
The Air Force said Russia used 11 TU-95 strategic bombers and other weapons in Monday’s attack.
Ukrainians have been anticipating a massive Russian missile strike for some time. The U.S. Embassy warned last week that there was a higher risk of attacks in Ukraine around Saturday’s commemoration of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kiev Military Administration, wrote on Telegram that about 15 missiles and 15 drones targeted the Kiev capital and were shot down.
Russia and Ukraine both deny deliberately targeting civilians. Both sides say their attacks are aimed at destroying infrastructure critical to the other’s war effort.
