Ukraine Faces Massive Attack: Russia Targets Energy with Missiles and Drones

On Friday, Russia launched a significant aerial assault on Ukraine, firing 93 cruise and ballistic missiles along with almost 200 drones. This attack was one of the most intense strikes on Ukraine's energy sector since the start of the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the country's defenses intercepted 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by F-16 warplanes supplied by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for a strong global response to stop these attacks, which he described as acts of terror. Russia claimed the attack was in retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a Russian air base using U. S. -supplied missiles. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the targets were crucial energy facilities supporting Ukraine's military industrial complex. The U. S. Embassy in Kyiv confirmed that the attack also targeted transport networks and other key facilities. The private energy company DTEK reported significant damage to its thermal power plants. Russia has repeatedly tried to disable Ukraine's electricity system to demoralize civilians and disrupt defense manufacturing. Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko assured that energy workers were working to minimize the negative impacts on the energy system. Ukraine's air force reported multiple strike drones and swarms of cruise missiles in the country's airspace. Russia also used Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine's western regions. A similar attack in November 2022 left over a million households without power. Ukrainian officials have warned about Russia's stockpiling of missiles for future attacks. In November 2021, Russia used a hypersonic missile, Oreshnik, for the first time to strike an industrial plant in Dnipro. Putin threatened more attacks with this weapon, and U. S. officials warned of its potential use. Despite these threats, there was no immediate evidence of its use in Friday's attack. More than half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war, leading to widespread electricity blackouts. Western allies have supplied Ukraine with air defense systems, but Russia continues to overwhelm them with large-scale combined attacks.