In the morning, Russia carried out an extensive series of airstrikes in different parts of Ukraine. Ukraine’s air defense announces that it has shot down the majority of missiles and drones.
According to Ukraine, it is one of Russia’s largest air attacks to date since the beginning of the war.
Russia has carried out extensive airstrikes with cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones across Ukraine early this morning. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andri Sybihan according to this, it is one of Russia’s largest air attacks to date since the start of the war of aggression.
Due to the emergency situation caused by the attacks, electricity has been cut not only in the region of the capital Kyiv, but also in the regions of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk, said the Ukrainian energy company DTEK.
At least AFP, the Ukrainian media Kyiv Independent and Ukrainian and Polish authorities reported on the massive air attacks on their social media channels.
Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushtshenko said in a Telegram message that Russia has launched a major offensive against Ukraine’s energy system and that Russian forces are now attacking power generation and transmission facilities throughout Ukraine.
– Russia launched one of its most extensive air attacks by striking peaceful cities, sleeping civilians and critical infrastructure with drones and missiles, Foreign Minister Sybiha said.
Poland is also on alert
Due to the scale of the attacks, NATO country Poland has also announced that it has sent its fighter jets into the air and mobilized all its available forces. The Polish Armed Forces reported on their large-scale preparation in the X message service. According to Poland, the purpose of the measures was to guarantee security on the Polish side of the areas that were the targets of Russian attacks.
The Polish Armed Forces wrote in the message service X that Poland’s air defense and intelligence systems have also been put on the highest alert.
– The operational command of the Defense Forces is monitoring the prevailing situation, and the forces and resources under its command are fully ready for immediate action, the message says.
Have the winter attacks started?
Explosions were heard early in the morning at least in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhya, western Rivne, central Ukraine’s Dnipro, and Odessa on the Black Sea.
Explosions were also heard in southern Mykolaiv and northern Ukraine’s Chernihiv.
After starting its large-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has struck energy targets in Ukraine every winter. Russia has used electricity shortages as a tool of warfare during the cold months, which has increased civilian suffering in Ukraine.
So far, there is not much information about the possible destruction caused by the morning attacks. Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko according to at least one person was injured in an airplane attack on a residential building.
STT, Reuters