Russia initiated its most extensive missile and drone assault in more than three weeks on Ukraine’s crucial infrastructure, with air defenses successfully intercepting two-thirds of the missiles.
A total of 53 missiles, which included four Iskander ballistic missiles from Crimea, and 47 Shahed drones loaded with explosives, were directed towards Ukraine overnight, as reported by Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk, as cited by Bloomberg.
Injuries were reported across the nation, including in the western Lviv region and the central Dnipropetrovsk region. In the Kharkiv region, twelve individuals, including eight children, were hospitalized following a strike near two houses where they sought shelter, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
These attacks are part of the continuous Russian assaults on Ukraine’s power grid, which have been ongoing since March. Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, reported significant damage to two of its power plants, marking the sixth attack on the company’s facilities in two and a half months.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko mentioned on social media that energy infrastructure in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kirovohrad, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions had also been targeted. The destruction has resulted in nationwide rolling blackouts, and with inadequate air defenses to counter these attacks and facilitate repairs, energy shortages could escalate as demand rises in late summer and the cold winter months.
In light of the assaults, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated Kyiv’s critical need for additional air defense systems from Western allies.
