Ukraine-Russia struggle: Putin’s forces launch ‘largest missile attack’ in months on very important power provides
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Russian forces have unleashed the “largest air attack” on Ukraine in months, targeting vital energy infrastructure as temperatures hit sub-zero in the war-torn country.
Blasts were heard across Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities early on Sunday morning, in what Ukrainian officials have described as the biggest missile attack since August.
“Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
Putin’s forces have inflicted repeated and sustained attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, in an attempt to cripple key infrastructure and cause long blackouts.
It comes as temperatures in Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine reach below freezing, as the winter months begin to take hold.
“Another massive attack on the power system is under way. The enemy is attacking electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine,” Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook.
The scale of the damage across Ukrainian cities is not immediately clear, but power supplies were cut by officials in multiple city districts to prevent a surge in case of damage. Officials often remain tight-lipped on the state of power infrastructure due to the war.
At least two people were killed overnight.
At least three killed overnight in Russian drone attacks
Two railway workers have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a depot in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Three other railway workers were also injured in the attacks, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
A 66-year-old woman was killed in in her car in the Chervonohrad district of the Lviv region after the fall of Russian missile wreckage. Two other men were injured in the attack, with one taken to hospital.
The main heating pipe in the area was damaged, leaving 6,000 people without heating, and 12 garages caught fire amid the bombardment.
Ukraine’s largest energy provider reports ‘serious damage’ after drone attacks
Russian strikes on Ukraine have “seriously damaged” equipment at the thermal power stations owned by the country’s largest energy provider, the company said on Sunday.
Employees are working on repairing the equipment, DTEK said on social media, but it did not specify what had been hit.
In pictures: Ukraine reels from largest drone attack in months
More than 200 drones and missiles launched in ‘massive’ attack, Zelensky says
Russia launched around 120 missiles and 90 drones in a “massive” strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday morning.
“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from strikes and falling debris,” he said in a statement on social media.
“As of now, some areas remain without power, but all necessary forces are working to mitigate the consequences and restore the infrastructure,” he added.
Ukraine struck by ‘largest air attack’, says foreign minister
Russian forces have launched one of the “largest air attacks” in months, targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as temperatures hit sub-zero in some areas.
“Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure,” said foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Sunday morning.
He added that the strike was the “true response” to the leaders who had interacted with Vladimir Putin, in an apparent swipe at German chancellor Olaf Scholz who has been criticised by Kyiv for holding a phone call with Putin on Friday.
A series of powerful blasts were heard in Kyiv’s city centre as Russia seeks to inflict crippling damage on power supplies, with overnight temperatures going below freezing in the capital.
“Another massive attack on the power system is under way. The enemy is attacking electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine,” Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook.
Ukraine struck by ‘largest air attack’, says foreign minister
Russian forces have launched one of the “largest air attacks” in months, targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as temperatures hit sub-zero in some areas.
“Russia launched one of the largest air attacks: drones and missiles against peaceful cities, sleeping civilians, critical infrastructure,” said foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said on Sunday morning.
He added that the strike was the “true response” to the leaders who had interacted with Vladimir Putin, in an apparent swipe at German chancellor Olaf Scholz who has been criticised by Kyiv for holding a phone call with Putin on Friday.
A series of powerful blasts were heard in Kyiv’s city centre as Russia seeks to inflict crippling damage on power supplies, with overnight temperatures going below freezing in the capital.
“Another massive attack on the power system is under way. The enemy is attacking electricity generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine,” Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook.
Ukraine must ensure the war ends through diplomacy, says Zelensky
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine must ensure the war with Russia ends next year through diplomacy.
Mr Zelensky accepted in a radio interview on Saturday that the situation on the eastern Ukrainian front is difficult as Russia continues to advance in key areas.
US legislation prevents the president from meeting with US president-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration in January – but Mr Zelensky has said he will only talk with Trump himself rather than an advisor.
“I, as the president of Ukraine, will only take seriously a conversation with the president of the United States of America, with all due respect to any entourage, to any people.”
“From our side, we must do everything so that this war ends next year, ends through diplomatic means,” Mr Zelensky said.
Where has Russia made advances on the frontline in Ukraine?
Ukrainian forces defending the eastern region of Donetsk are heading into the “moment of maximum tension” as Russian forces rush to take territory across Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration next year, war monitors have claimed.
Mr Trump’s comprehensive victory in the US election, which came off the back of his promises to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, has brought into sharp relief the difficult situation on the frontline for Kyiv.
Russian forces have continued to make gains in the eastern region of Donetsk, advancing along several fronts towards the city of Pokrovsk, a linchpin of the wider area’s defence.
Tom Watling has more.
Ukraine has not received half of aid allocated by US, Zelensky says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine hasn’t received even half of the weapons allocated to it by the US.
Speaking on Ukrainian Radio, he said according to Ukrainska Pravda: “Now, regarding the huge assistance [from the US – ed.]. Look, that money still needs to be delivered. If you asked me how much we have received from this, I wouldn’t go into the details because there are various reports from different institutions, such as the Ministry of Defence, intelligence agencies, and so on.
“I would only say that we haven’t received half.
“When I talk about half, I actually mean less, and I’m talking about weapons. I negotiated for weapons. Of course, there is humanitarian aid, financial aid, targeted financial aid to the budget, as well as specific humanitarian programmes directed to the regions.”
Russia is secretly developing a petrifying new weapon
In a secret factory in central Russia, engineers are manufacturing hundreds of decoy drones meant to overwhelm Ukrainian defences as they try to protect against a horrific new weapon.
The plant in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone recently started churning out thermobaric drones alongside the decoys, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The thermobaric warheads create a vortex of high pressure and heat that can penetrate thick walls. They suck out all the oxygen in their path, and have a fearsome reputation because of the injuries inflicted even outside the initial blast site: Collapsed lungs, crushed eyeballs, brain damage.
More here.
Source: independent.co.uk
