Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults in months against Ukraine on Sunday, launching a combined force of 120 missiles and 90 drones at critical energy infrastructure nationwide, killing at least four civilians and raising fears about Moscow’s strategy to cripple power generation before winter.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Ukrainian forces shot down 140 of the incoming threats, which included Iranian-made Shahed drones alongside cruise, ballistic, and aircraft-launched missiles. “The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram, confirming widespread damage from successful strikes and debris.
The assault’s civilian toll included two deaths in Mykolaiv following a drone strike that also injured six people, including two children. In the Odesa region, Governor Oleh Kiper reported two additional fatalities and significant disruptions to power and water supplies after energy facilities were hit.
Serhii Popko, head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration, characterized the bombardment as the most powerful in three months. The capital experienced explosions and one injury when a five-story building’s roof caught fire in the historic center. Private energy company DTEK confirmed “serious damage” to one of its thermal power plants.
The widespread attack prompted international response, with Poland mobilizing its air force and allied aircraft along the border. “Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been activated in Polish airspace because of the ‘massive’ Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine,” the Polish armed forces operational command announced on social media platform X.
The assault marks an intensification of Russia’s campaign to destroy Ukraine’s power infrastructure, a strategy that began with Moscow’s February 2022 invasion and has previously forced emergency shutdowns and nationwide blackouts. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged Western allies to strengthen the country’s air defenses to protect critical infrastructure and enable repairs.
Local reports confirmed explosions across Ukraine, registering impacts in Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, and various western and central regions. The massive strike comes as Ukraine faces growing concerns about maintaining power generation through the approaching winter months, with its energy grid already strained from previous Russian attacks.
