Russian forces launched huge air assaults on Ukraine in a single day, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday describing it as “one of many largest assaults on our energy grid.”
Zelensky stated on Telegram that Russian forces fired greater than 90 missiles on the nation’s power sector, with 81 of the missiles shot down.
Eleven cruise missiles have been intercepted by Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets, Zelensky stated.
Earlier than the missiles have been fired, Russia had apparently deployed nearly 200 fight drones to Ukraine.
Zelensky renewed his requires Western allies to provide extra air defence techniques to place a cease to the strikes.
The Ukrainian Air Power stated that the wave of assaults was carried out with drones and missiles, in addition to with MiG-31 fight jets geared up with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
The Kinzhal missiles have been fired at western Ukrainian targets close to the Burshtyn heating plant and the Starokostiantyniv navy airbase, navy observers stated. Various cruise missiles had struck within the Odessa area in southern Ukraine as nicely, they stated.
There was initially no affirmation of the size of the assaults.
Ukrainian Vitality Minister German Galushchenko posted on Fb that the power sector had once more come beneath huge assault.
Precautionary energy cuts have been launched in quite a few areas to forestall grid overload.
4 folks have been injured within the Kharkiv area within the north-east, the regional navy governor, Oleh Syniehubov, posted on Telegram. Kharkiv Metropolis Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported {that a} drone had struck a residential constructing.
Russian forces have repeatedly focused Ukrainian power infrastructure in the course of the chilly winter months since launching their full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian forces beneath stress
On the entrance line in japanese Ukraine, the state of affairs for the Ukrainian forces continues to deteriorate, in response to navy observers.
An unspecified variety of troopers have been threatened with being surrounded south of Kurakhove within the Donetsk area, they stated.
The Ukrainian Common Workers didn’t present any particulars, however solely reported heavy preventing round Kurachove. Pokrovsk, about an hour’s drive to the north, can be stated to be fiercely contested.
In keeping with reviews, Russian troops have made a number of advances there in latest days. Extra civilians who had remained within the metropolis regardless of the hazard have been evacuated to security.