Ukraine’s military has issued a warning about a significant Russian missile and drone assault following multiple drone attacks early Monday morning. Explosions were reported in central Kyiv during the morning rush hour. The air force informed Ukrainians that Russia had 11 TU-95 strategic bombers airborne and confirmed the launch of several missiles. Reporters outside Kyiv heard air defenses engaging targets, as cited by Reuters.
Russian forces launched drones, cruise missiles, and hypersonic ballistic Kinzhal missiles at 15 Ukrainian regions, covering more than half the country, according to Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The energy infrastructure has once again been targeted, leading Ukraine’s state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo, to implement emergency power cuts to stabilize the system.
Local authorities reported explosions in the northwestern city of Lutsk, where an apartment block was damaged. At least three people were killed in Lutsk, one in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, and one in the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast. Thirteen people were wounded, including one in the Kyiv region surrounding the capital, five in Lutsk, three in the southern Mykolaiv region, and four in the neighboring Odesa region.
The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command stated on social media that Polish and allied aircraft had been activated following a Russian attack on western Ukraine and areas near the Polish border.
Ukraine had been anticipating a major Russian missile attack for some time. The US embassy had recently warned of a heightened risk of attack around Ukrainian Independence Day, which was observed on Saturday.
In retaliation for Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone attacks on Russia. “The desire to destroy our energy will cost the Russians dearly: their infrastructure,” Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, stated on Telegram, hinting at possible retaliation.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that a total of 22 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight and in the morning over eight Russian regions. Four people were injured in Russia’s central region of Saratov, where drones struck residential buildings in two cities.
