Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with widespread aerial strikes

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a large aerial assault towards Ukraine on Friday, firing 93 missiles and nearly 200 drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, describing it as one of many heaviest bombardments of the nation’s power sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly three years in the past.

Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, together with 11 cruise missiles that had been intercepted by F-16 warplanes offered by Western allies earlier this yr, Zelenskyy stated.

Russia is “terrorizing millions of people” with such assaults, he stated on his Telegram channel, renewing his plea for worldwide unity towards Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike – a massive reaction. This is the only way to stop terror,” Zelenskyy stated.

However uncertainty surrounds how the struggle may unfold subsequent yr. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes workplace subsequent month, has vowed to finish the struggle and has thrown into doubt whether or not very important U.S. navy assist for Kyiv will proceed.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv stated Friday’s assault additionally focused transport networks and different key amenities.

Russia has repeatedly tried to cripple Ukraine’s electrical energy system in an effort to interrupt the need of civilians left at nighttime with no operating water or heating and to disrupt Ukrainian protection manufacturing.

Ukrainian Vitality Minister Herman Halushchenko stated power employees had been doing the whole lot essential to “minimize negative consequences for the energy system,” promising to launch extra particulars on damages as soon as the safety state of affairs allowed it.

Ukraine’s air drive reported a number of strike drones launched at Ukraine in a single day adopted by swarms of cruise missiles within the nation’s air area. It stated Russia additionally used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles towards Ukraine’s western areas.

Moscow has declared that the aerial assaults are geared toward hobbling Ukraine’s protection trade, thwarting the manufacturing of missiles, drones, armored automobiles and artillery, amongst different weapons.

An analogous large assault on Nov. 28 concerned about 200 missiles and drones and left greater than one million households with out energy till emergency groups restored provides.

Ukrainian officers have warned that Russia is stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles for extra assaults.

On Nov. 21, Russia for the primary time used an intermediate vary hypersonic ballistic missile to strike an industrial plant within the metropolis of Dnipro, in japanese Ukraine. Putin described the assault with the Oreshnik missile as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with longer-range Western weapons.

He declared that extra assaults with the brand new weapon may comply with, and U.S. officers warned Wednesday that the Oreshnik could possibly be used once more in coming days. There was no quick signal one was launched in Friday’s assault.

On Wednesday, the Russian Protection Ministry stated that Ukraine struck an air base in Taganrog within the southern Rostov area with six U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles, injuring a number of troopers and damaging buildings and some automobiles. It vowed to strike again.

Round half of Ukraine’s power infrastructure has been destroyed in the course of the nearly three years of struggle with Russia, and rolling electrical energy blackouts are widespread.

Kyiv’s Western allies have offered Ukraine with air protection techniques to assist it defend crucial infrastructure, however Russia has sought to overwhelm the air defenses with mixed strikes involving massive numbers of missiles and drones.

Russia has held the initiative this yr as its navy has steadily rammed by Ukrainian defenses within the east in a collection of gradual however regular offensives.