In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a large-scale assault on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure early Monday. The Ministry stated that Russian forces employed high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons to target unmanned aerial vehicles and key energy facilities vital for Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. According to the statement, all designated targets were successfully hit.
The Russian Defense Ministry further reported the destruction of two electronic warfare stations and four field ammunition depots over the past 24 hours, as per Xinhua news agency.
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In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the assault on Telegram as one of the largest combined strikes to date, involving over 100 missiles and approximately 100 drones. Zelensky confirmed significant damage to Ukraine’s energy sector but noted that efforts are underway to restore the affected facilities.
Ukrinform, a government-run news agency, reported explosions in several Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kropyvnytsky, Vinnytsia, Kryvyi Rih, and Kharkiv. The Ukrainian Air Force indicated that the Russian attack involved multiple groups of combat drones and cruise missiles, with eleven Tu-95MC strategic bombers and six Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bombers participating in the assault.
The heightened risk of a major Russian missile attack had been anticipated, following a warning from the US Embassy last week around the time of Ukrainian Independence Day, which was observed on Saturday.
In Kyiv, Serhiy Popko, head of the city’s military administration, reported that nearly 15 missiles and 15 drones targeting the capital were intercepted and downed. Both Russia and Ukraine continue to deny targeting civilians, each asserting that their operations are aimed at undermining the other’s military capabilities.
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