Russia has extensively attacked Ukraine’s infrastructure, damaged power plants

Commercial presentation Update: 08/05/2024 08:57
Issued by: 05/08/2024, 07:05

Kyiv – Russia launched a massive attack on Ukrainian infrastructure overnight, sending more than 50 missiles and drones into Ukrainian territory, according to Kyiv. Russian forces hit targets in seven Ukrainian regions and severely disrupted the energy sector; among other things, they damaged three Ukrainian power plants and destroyed houses and a railway network, Ukrainian authorities said. The Russian Defense Ministry later said it was in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.

In a statement on the Telegram platform, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi pointed out that Russia launched a large-scale attack on the day when Ukraine, like other European countries, including the Czech Republic, commemorates Victory Day and the end of World War II. “Over 50 missiles and more than 20 drones,” the Ukrainian president said.

The Ukrainian Air Force subsequently specified that Russia attacked with 55 missiles during the night to today, including a Kinzhal hypersonic missile, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and four Kalibr missiles. It also sent 21 drones. According to its statement, the Ukrainian air defense managed to shoot down 59 air targets – 39 missiles and 20 drones.

This was also confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. “The Russian armed forces, in response to the attempts of the Kyiv regime to damage Russian energy facilities, this morning launched a mass attack with long-range guided missiles, the Kinzhal system and drones,” the ministry said in a statement. According to him, the targets were Ukrainian military and industrial enterprises and energy facilities, the Interfax agency wrote.

The Russian-language BBC server recalls that the Russian army began massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the fall of 2022, half a year after its invasion of Ukraine. Russia began the current wave of attacks in March this year, according to Ukrainian authorities, today’s attack was the fifth such attack since March 22. Ukraine has been targeting Russian oil refineries and warehouses since this winter.

“Another extremely difficult night for the Ukrainian energy sector. The enemy shelled three of our thermal power plants, the facilities were seriously damaged. Energy workers are currently working to eliminate the consequences of the attack,” the operator of these facilities, DTEK, said in a telegram.

According to DTEK, this is the fifth large-scale attack on its energy facilities in the last month and a half. The company did not specify which power plants were targeted by Russian attacks overnight. According to the Russian-language BBC server, among them is the largest Dobrotvir power plant in the Lviv region of western Ukraine and the Ladyzhyn power plant in the Vinnytsia region in the central part of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko previously announced that electricity production and transmission facilities in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporozhye, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia regions were attacked.

The RBK-Ukraine server previously reported, citing local authorities and military officials, that explosions were heard in Kyiv, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions in the west of the country, as well as in Kharkiv, Poltava and Zaporozhye regions. Local authorities report lower numbers of injured.

According to the newspaper Ukrainska pravda, the alarm was declared in all Ukrainian regions at night. The Ukrainian Air Force said a number of surface-to-air missiles launched by Russia over Ukrainian territory were changing direction.

Ukraine Russia energy of struggle PHOTO FLASH