Russia unleashed a widespread drone and missile assault on Ukraine early Monday, targeting energy infrastructure across 15 regions and resulting in at least three deaths, Ukrainian officials reported.
The attack, which began around midnight and continued past dawn, appears to be Russia’s most extensive assault on Ukraine in recent weeks. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that Russian forces deployed drones, cruise missiles, and hypersonic ballistic Kinzhal missiles in the barrage.
“The energy infrastructure has once again become the target of Russian terrorists,” Shmyhal stated, noting that Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo, implemented emergency power cuts to stabilize the system.
Casualties were reported in various regions, with deaths occurring in the western city of Lutsk, the central Dnipropetrovsk region, and the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region. Additionally, 13 people were wounded across several regions, including Kyiv, Lutsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa.
In the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported disruptions to power and water supplies. Explosions were heard throughout the city.
The attack’s impact was felt nationwide, with the Sumy region reporting widespread power blackouts and DTEK, Ukraine’s private energy company, introducing emergency blackouts. Damage to civilian infrastructure and residential buildings was reported from Sumy in the east to Rivne in the west.
In response to the power cuts, Prime Minister Shmyhal ordered the opening of “points of invincibility” across Ukraine — shelters where people can charge devices and access refreshments during blackouts.
Shmyhal called on Ukraine’s allies to provide long-range weapons and permission to use them on targets inside Russia. “In order to stop the barbaric shelling of Ukrainian cities, it is necessary to destroy the place from which the Russian missiles are launched,” he stated.
The assault also prompted the activation of Polish and NATO air defenses in eastern Poland.
Concurrently, Russian officials reported Ukrainian drone attacks overnight and Monday morning in several regions, including Saratov and Yaroslavl. Four people were reportedly injured in Saratov, where drones struck residential buildings in two cities.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 22 Ukrainian drones over eight Russian regions during this period.
As the conflict intensifies, both sides continue to target each other’s infrastructure and civilian areas, raising concerns about escalation and the toll on non-combatants.
AP
