Russia’s extensive attack leaves over a million without power
In what is being described as one of the most extensive assaults on Ukraine‘s energy system since the onset of the full-scale invasion over two years ago, Russia launched a vast missile and drone barrage overnight into Friday. Ukrainian officials reported that the attack targeted the energy infrastructure across at least 10 regions, leaving more than a million households without electricity. The offensive aimed at several key locations, including Kharkiv, Odesa, and Kryvyi Rih, sparing only Kyiv and the country’s northwest from the blackout.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated it had executed a “massive strike” on Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex,” alleging it was a countermeasure to Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian territory. “All the goals of the massive strike have been achieved,” the ministry claimed. The attack also targeted Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power complex on the Dnipro River in the Zaporizhzhia region, causing “massive damage” and raising concerns over the potential operational resume of the plants.
The nationwide strikes have resulted in at least three fatalities, with numerous individuals reported missing and over a dozen injured. The Ukrainian air force disclosed that a total of 151 missiles and drones were launched, including various missile types notoriously difficult for Ukraine’s air defences to intercept.
Friday’s aggression followed a day after Kyiv faced a missile attack targeting facilities of the Defense Intelligence Directorate. That salvo, which included potentially North Korean-made ballistic missiles, was notably intercepted in its entirety.
In response to the ongoing crisis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to international allies for increased support, highlighting the urgent need for US-made Patriot air defence systems in regions heavily impacted by the attacks. Zelensky’s plea underscores the critical situation in Ukraine as it faces relentless assaults on its infrastructure and calls attention to the stalled military aid from the US due to political contention.
As the conflict persists, the international community watches closely, weighing the implications of Russia’s intensified offensive and the call for greater support to Ukraine in its defence efforts
