Russia launched 93 missiles, practically 200 drones on Ukraine, says Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Russia hammered Ukrainian vitality amenities in a large aerial assault on Friday that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated was one of many largest but on the ailing grid and proof of why Kyiv wanted extra Western assist earlier than any peace with Russia.
Russia’s twelfth main assault on the vitality system this 12 months broken energy amenities in a number of Ukrainian areas and compelled authorities to impose even longer electrical energy cuts for hundreds of thousands of civilians, the nationwide grid operator stated.
With winter temperatures presently round -6 levels Celsius, the strikes improve stress on Ukraine at an unpredictable second with Donald Trump set to return to the White Home subsequent month, vowing to finish the conflict rapidly.
“That is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s plan for ‘peace’ – to destroy every part. That is how he needs ‘negotiations’ – terrorising hundreds of thousands of individuals,” Zelenskyy stated on X.
“A robust response from the world is required: a large strike – a large response.”
Russia launched 93 missiles, together with one manufactured in North Korea, and practically 200 drones throughout the assault, Zelenskyy stated. Air defences intercepted 81 of the missiles, together with 11 shot down by F-16 fighter jets, he added.
The total extent of the injury was arduous to evaluate. After repeated Russian assaults, officers reveal little detailed details about the state of the community.
Six unspecified vitality amenities had been broken within the western area of Lviv that borders Poland, officers stated.
An trade supply informed Reuters the assault had focused energy substations and that there had been extra strikes on gasoline infrastructure than in previous assaults.
Unspecified gear at thermal energy vegetation sustained critical injury, in accordance with DTEK, Ukraine’s greatest non-public energy supplier, which has been battered by the strikes since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Officers stated that they had imposed extra energy cuts because of the assault. Within the area exterior Kyiv, the ability cuts had been scheduled to final for 11 hours, up from eight hours earlier than the assault. Round a half of energy firm Yasno’s 3.5 million shoppers had been with out energy on Friday, their CEO stated.
“I reiterate my name for the pressing supply of 20 NASAMS, HAWK, or IRIS-T air protection programs,” Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote in a put up on X, responding to the assault.
The Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company stated 5 of Ukraine’s 9 working nuclear reactor items had lowered energy output attributable to renewed assaults on vitality infrastructure.
One particular person obtained mild accidents, officers stated.
‘CYNICAL’ ATTACK
“As Ukrainians wake to the coldest day of the winter to date, the enemy tries to interrupt our spirit with this cynical terrorist assault,” DTEK’s CEO Maxim Timchenko stated.
Moscow described its assault as retaliation for Ukraine utilizing U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles to assault a Russian army airfield this week.
The Russian Defence Ministry stated air- and sea-based long-range precision weapons and drones had been used towards “important amenities of Ukraine’s gasoline and vitality infrastructure that assist the military-industrial advanced”.
Russia says it doesn’t goal civilian infrastructure, however that it sees the ability system as a army goal.
The assault comes as Russian forces notch up their quickest battlefield positive factors in jap Ukraine since 2022 of their drive to grab your complete industrial Donbas area.
Trump’s impending return to energy has spurred expectations of a push for negotiations to halt the conflict.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated it wants the West to assist put it in a stronger place earlier than peace talks start, a stance reaffirmed by Zelenskyy on Friday.
“Chatter is not going to cease Putin – we want drive that may result in peace,” he stated.
