Russia launches one of the strongest missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine on Sunday, described by officials as the largest in recent months, attacking energy infrastructure and killing civilians.

The attack came as fears grow over Moscow’s plans to destroy Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the cold winter.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack on Ukraine. Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds and cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian defenses shot down 140 air targets, Zelenskyy said in a statement on messaging app Telegram.

“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone strike, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children,” Zelenskyy said.

Two others were killed in the Odesa region, where the attack damaged energy infrastructure and disrupted power and water supplies, local governor Oleh Kiper said.

The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to Serhii Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military city administration.

Russian attacks have strained Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since Moscow’s large-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, leading to repeated emergency power cuts and nationwide blackouts. Ukrainian officials have routinely urged Western allies to strengthen the country’s air defenses to counter attacks and enable repairs.

According to local reports, explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in the capital Kiev, the main southern port city of Odessa, and in the western and central regions of the country.

The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command wrote on X that Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been mobilized in Polish airspace due to the “massive” Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine. The steps were intended to provide security in Poland’s border areas, the report said.

According to Popko, one person was injured after the roof of a five-story residential building in the historic center of Kiev caught fire.

A thermal power plant owned by private energy company DTEK was “severely damaged,” the company said.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.