Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Ukraine on Monday, striking energy facilities across the country and causing significant damage. Ukrainian officials reported that the attack killed five people and led to widespread power and water outages, including in the capital, Kyiv. Meanwhile, neighboring Poland, a NATO member, reported that a drone may have entered its airspace, prompting an ongoing search.
The Ukrainian government described the attack as one of the most intense in weeks, marking 2-1/2 years since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the assault “sneaky” and stated that it targeted critical civilian infrastructure. The barrage of over 100 missiles and drones was likely part of Russia’s continued efforts to degrade Ukraine’s power grid ahead of the winter months.
Power cuts and water supply disruptions were reported in at least 10 Ukrainian regions, including Rivne, Volyn, Khmelnytsk, Zhytomyr, Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa. Zelenskiy indicated that the energy sector had sustained “a lot of damage.”
In response to the attacks, top Ukrainian officials urged Western allies to provide long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia. Ukraine has already developed and deployed several long-range attack drones against Russian infrastructure, including military airfields and oil refineries.
In Poland, an object believed to be a drone reportedly entered the country’s airspace, raising concerns of a potential violation. The Polish army’s operational command suggested that the trajectory and speed of the object indicated it was not a missile. Searches are ongoing to locate the object.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating that high-precision weapons were used to hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure that supports the military-industrial complex. Targets included power substations, gas compressor stations, and storage sites for aircraft weapons.
Moldova, whose power grid is linked to Ukraine’s, also reported minor disruptions following the attack.
The Ukrainian air force confirmed that Russia utilized 11 TU-95 strategic bombers in the assault. Approximately 15 missiles and nearly 20 drones aimed at Kyiv were intercepted and destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses.
As the conflict continues to escalate, both Russia and Ukraine maintain that their military operations are focused on infrastructure critical to the other’s war efforts, denying any deliberate targeting of civilians.
