Russia unleashed one of its most extensive aerial attacks on Ukraine on Sunday, killing at least eight people and injuring over 20 as hundreds of missiles and drones targeted critical energy infrastructure.
The strikes, which Ukraine described as “massive,” have deepened fears of a challenging winter ahead.
The bombardment left Ukraine’s already fragile energy grid reeling.
Emergency power cuts were imposed in Kyiv and the eastern regions of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk, according to energy operator DTEK.
Energy Minister German Galushchenko confirmed that Russian forces targeted electricity generation and transmission facilities across the country, exacerbating ongoing energy shortages.
Russian missiles and drones also struck Odesa, Mykolaiv, and even the rarely targeted Transcarpathia region near Ukraine’s borders with Poland and Hungary.
In response, Poland scrambled fighter jets and heightened its military alert.
Odesa’s governor, Oleg Kiper, reported two fatalities in the port city, while attacks in Mykolaiv killed two and injured six, including children.
In the western Lviv region, a missile strike killed a 66-year-old woman, marking a rare incursion into the relatively safer west.
Russia’s defense ministry stated that its strikes targeted energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 120 missiles and 90 drones were fired, with air defenses successfully intercepting 140.
“This was one of the largest air attacks of the conflict,” said Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
Zelensky stressed the critical need for Western support to rebuild energy infrastructure and bolster air defenses.
The strikes come as Ukraine faces territorial losses on the battlefield and uncertainty surrounding U.S. support due to Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.
The president-elect has criticized U.S. backing for Ukraine and pledged a quick resolution to the conflict, raising concerns about future military aid.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin further ruffled feathers in Kyiv, which labeled the outreach as an ineffective appeasement attempt.
Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to regaining occupied territories, dismissing Putin’s demand for Kyiv to cede land as a condition for peace talks.
As winter approaches, Ukraine braces for significant energy shortfalls, with half of its production capacity already destroyed, according to Zelensky.
The attack marked the eighth major strike on Ukraine’s power facilities this year.
The overnight barrage underscores the ongoing challenges Ukraine faces both on and off the battlefield as it strives to secure its sovereignty while navigating shifting geopolitical alliances.
AFP
