Ukraine is enduring one of the heaviest air raids of the war. Kiev is pleading for the means to eliminate the Russian planes and their launch sites before the attack.
In one of the heaviest attacks in two and a half years of war, Russia has bombarded Ukraine with rockets, cruise missiles and drones from the air. 15 of the 24 Ukrainian regions were hit, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram. “There are dead and injured.” The main target of the attacks was once again Ukraine’s energy system. Among other things, the hydroelectric power plant on the Kiev reservoir was damaged. There were power outages and emergency shutdowns in the Ukrainian capital and other parts of the country.
Russia has deployed more than 100 missiles and a similar number of combat drones, said President Volodymyr Zelensky. He renewed Kiev’s pleading request to partner countries to allow the use of Western weapons against military targets deep in Russia’s rear area. “Every leader, every partner of ours knows what strong decisions are necessary to end this war, and to do so fairly.” There should be no range restrictions for Ukraine, he said, because Russia is not limiting its attacks either. Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made similar appeals to the allies.
Because the attacks lasted all morning, data on casualties and damage were slow to come in. Initial official reports said there were 5 dead and 17 injured in various parts of the country. The bombing hit Ukraine as people were returning to work after the Independence Day weekend.
In Kiev, the air raid warning was only lifted after almost eight hours at around 1:45 p.m. local time (12:45 p.m. CEST), because swarms of Russian combat drones were still being registered in the airspace. Videos showed how people in the city of millions crowded together and used the subway stations as an underground refuge.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the Russian army temporarily deployed eleven long-range Tu-95 bombers, which serve as launch pads for cruise missiles. In addition, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were reportedly fired at Ukraine. Ukraine was also attacked with Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea. According to preliminary information, dozens of drones were also detected in the air. As usual, Ukraine did not provide any information on hits on military targets.
Because of the proximity of the Russian attacks to the Polish border, the Polish military sent interceptors, the PAP news agency reported. Aircraft from other allies were also involved in the operation.
“The enemy is not giving up on its plans to turn off the lights for the Ukrainians,” wrote Energy Minister Herman Halutschschtenko on Facebook. The situation is difficult. The electricity supplier Ukrenerho and other energy companies are trying to relieve the strain on the network by means of emergency shutdowns. Where there is no electricity, the water supply usually fails too.
The Unian news agency reported on the hit on the Kyiv hydroelectric power station after a video of the damage appeared on Russian Telegram channels. According to the video, there was a fire in the turbine room of the hydroelectric power station and the road on the dam was damaged. The military administration of the Kyiv region officially confirmed only damage to two unspecified energy infrastructure facilities.
Since the turn of the year 2023/24, Russia has attempted to disable power plants and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with several combined air strikes. In an attack on December 29, the Russian army used 122 rockets and cruise missiles as well as 36 drones, according to Kyiv’s count. More than 30 people were killed in Ukraine.
Ukraine has been fending off a major Russian invasion since February 2022. On Saturday, Europe’s second-largest country celebrated the 33rd anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union.
