Russia launches massive attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Zelenskyy says

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia launched 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine, targeting its energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said Russia deployed various types of drones, including Shaheds, cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles. Ukrainian defense forces shot down 140 air targets, he said in a statement on Telegram.

The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration Serhii Popko.

“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children.”

Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s power generation capacity since Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts. Ukrainian officials have routinely urged Western allies to bolster the country’s air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs.

Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including the capital, Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, as well as the country’s west and central regions, according to local reports.