Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Ukraine on Monday night, hitting targets in more than half the country. Ukrainian officials describe the attack as one of the largest airstrikes since the war began in February 2022.
According to the Associated Press (AP), Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Moscow attacked energy infrastructure with drone strikes, cruise missiles and hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Shmyhal said the airstrike hit 15 regions in Ukraine, which is more than half the country.
The attack, which consisted of over 100 missiles and a comparable number of drones, began around midnight and lasted until daybreak. It was Russia’s largest offensive in weeks. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that swarms of Russian drones targeted the eastern, northern, southern and central regions, followed by waves of cruise missiles and ballistic missile attacks.
In a Telegram post, Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said the barrage was the “most massive air strike” in more than two and a half years of war.
“Like most Russian attacks before it, this one was equally heinous and targeted critical civilian infrastructure,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the attack.
Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images
According to Oleshchuk’s Telegram post, Russia fired 127 missiles and 109 combat drones. He said Ukraine shot down 102 of the missiles and 99 of the drones. Newsweek was unable to independently verify the figures cited by officials.
Shmyhal condemned the attacks and called on Kiev’s allies for support.
“The energy infrastructure has once again become a target of Russian terrorists,” Shmyhal said. “To stop the barbaric shelling of Ukrainian cities, it is necessary to destroy the place from which the Russian missiles are fired. We are counting on the support of our allies and will definitely make Russia pay for it.”
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said numerous explosions were heard throughout the Ukrainian capital during the attacks.
According to AP, the Russian Defense Ministry said the attacks involved “long-range precision weapons from the air and sea, as well as drones, targeting critical energy infrastructure facilities that support the operations of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.”
“All intended targets were hit,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
According to a social media post by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, at least seven people were killed and 47 others injured in the airstrike.
The attack also caused disruptions to water supplies and power outages were reported in many cities, including Kyiv.
DETK, a private energy company in Ukraine, said that “energy workers across the country are working around the clock to restore lighting in Ukrainians’ homes.”
