Russia launched a major missile attack on energy facilities in Ukraine, causing power cuts in five regions. This attack is seen as the beginning of a new air campaign against Ukraine’s national power grid. The strikes bring back memories of last winter’s air strikes on critical infrastructure that resulted in widespread outages. At least 18 people were wounded in the attacks, and two people were killed in separate Russian shelling. The grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported damage to facilities in western and central regions, leading to blackouts in multiple regions.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that its attack targeted military industry facilities, radio intelligence installations, and training centers for sabotage groups. Ukraine has been working to repair its infrastructure after the attacks last winter severely damaged its energy system. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, during his visit to the United States, condemned the attack and called for more air defense, sanctions, and support for Ukrainian soldiers.
In response to the attack, President Joe Biden announced a new $325 million military aid package for Ukraine, which includes cluster munitions. Russia, which sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, has been focusing its air strikes on port and grain infrastructure. These attacks have resulted in civilian casualties, although Moscow denies deliberately targeting them. Russia did not comment on the recent air strikes and accuses Ukraine of attacking targets inside Russia.
The missile attack caused significant damage across Ukraine. Ukraine reported that Russia fired 43 cruise missiles in several waves, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 36 of them. The capital, Kyiv, experienced loud blasts, injuring seven people, including a nine-year-old girl. Missile debris damaged buildings in the city center, and a Pepsi Co Inc plant was also damaged. Blasts were reported in several other regions, including Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskiy, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. Lviv’s regional governor confirmed that three Russian missiles hit the city of Drohobych, causing damage to infrastructure facilities and warehouses. In a separate attack, two people were killed in Kherson due to Russian shelling. The Ukrainian military also targeted the Saky air base in Russian-occupied Crimea, causing serious damage.
An adviser to the head of Crimea stated that none of Ukraine’s missiles hit their target. The situation remains tense as Ukraine continues to defend against Russian aggression.
