Most Massive Russian air attack, Ukraine says

Russia has carried out one of its most extensive air assaults on Ukraine during the ongoing conflict, according to the head of the Ukrainian air force.

On Monday, at least seven people lost their lives, and dozens more were injured as missiles and drones targeted over half of Ukraine’s regions. The attacks compromised the power infrastructure, leading to widespread blackouts, and prompted a nationwide air raid alert advising citizens to seek shelter.

Russian officials confirmed the strikes were aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, a long-standing tactic, asserting that all intended targets were successfully hit. The wave of missile and drone attacks commenced late Sunday night and persisted into Monday morning.

Later in the day, a civilian building in the eastern city of Kryvyi Rih was struck by a Russian missile, resulting in one fatality and leaving five individuals unaccounted for, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the local military administration, via Telegram.

Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraine’s air force, reported that Russia launched 127 missiles and 109 drones overnight through Monday morning, with Ukraine intercepting 102 missiles and 99 drones.

Oleshchuk characterized this coordinated assault as “the most massive aerial attack” to date.

During the assault, a “suspicious object” was detected crossing into Poland, a NATO member. Army spokesman Jacek Goryszewski indicated it was likely a drone, based on its flight trajectory and speed, which ruled out a missile.

NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah condemned the attacks on Ukraine, labeling the incursion into NATO airspace by Russia as “irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”

The recent escalation surpasses previous notable assaults, including a December attack involving 158 missiles and drones.

While primarily targeting energy infrastructure, this offensive also aimed to undermine Ukrainian morale, particularly in light of recent Ukrainian successes in Russian territory in the Kursk region. The strikes served as a reminder from Moscow that it retains the capability to inflict suffering upon the Ukrainian populace at will.

In total, 15 regions across Ukraine were subjected to the strikes, which included drones, cruise missiles, and supersonic missiles, as reported by Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who acknowledged the casualties.

Among those killed were two men aged 69 and 47 in separate attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region, with additional injuries reported, including a 14-year-old girl. Other reported fatalities occurred when a man’s house was struck in Zaporizhzhia, and further casualties were reported in Lutsk, Izyum, and Zhytomyr regions due to missile strikes hitting civilian infrastructure.