Kiev. Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine on Sunday targeting energy sector infrastructure, killing several people. This attack by Russia is being described as the most serious attack on Ukraine in recent months. The attack comes at a time when fears are growing that Moscow intends to destroy Ukraine’s power generation capacity before the winter season. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack into Ukraine.
Zelensky claimed that a variety of drones were used in the attack, including the Iran-made Shahid, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles. Zelensky said in a statement shared on Telegram that Ukrainian security forces shot down 140 missiles and drones. “The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure in Ukraine,” Zelensky said. Damage has been caused by collisions and falling debris. “Two people died and six others were injured, including two children, as a result of the drone strike in Mykolaiv.”
The combined drone and missile attack was the largest in three months, according to Serhiy Popko, head of Kiev’s city military administration. Russian attacks have caused massive damage to Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, leading to repeated emergency power outages. Ukrainian officials have regularly urged Western allies to strengthen and repair the country’s air defenses to repel attacks. Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including the capital Kiev, the major southern port of Odessa and the country’s western and central regions, according to local reports.
