Firefighters putting out a fire in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine, following a mass Russian aerial attack on Dec. 13, 2024. (State Emergency Service/Telegram)
THE KYIV INDEPENDENT | Published December 13, 2024
Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure early on Dec. 13, firing around 290 missiles and drones across multiple regions.
“The enemy continues its terror. Once again, the energy sector across Ukraine is under massive attack,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said.
Air defense is active in Kyiv Oblast, the regional administration said. Explosions were also reported in the Odesa, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Cherkasy oblasts. Russian forces deployed cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, the Air Force reported.
Russia launched at least 93 missiles, including those supplied by North Korea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Eighty-one were shot down, including 11 intercepted by Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets.
Moscow’s forces also deployed close to 200 drones, making it “one of the largest strikes on our energy grid,” Zelensky said.
“As a result of the mass missile-drone attack, energy facilities in multiple regions were damaged,” the state energy operator Ukrenergo said. Repair works are underway, but the scope of emergency shutdowns will increase, according to the statement.
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast suffered the “most massive attack during the full-scale war,” Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk announced. Cruise missiles and drones struck critical infrastructure facilities in the region, but no casualties were reported at the moment.
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SOURCE: www.kyivindependent.com
RELATED: Massive’ Russian air attack targets Ukraine’s battered energy grid
People take shelter inside an underground parking area at an apartment building during a missile attack in Lviv, Ukraine, on Friday © Roman Baluk/Reuters
FINANCIAL TIMES | Published December 13, 2024
Russia has unleashed a devastating aerial assault targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy describing it as “one of the largest strikes” against the nation’s power facilities since the war began.
Zelenskyy said 93 Russian cruise and ballistic missiles and 200 attack drones were launched at Ukraine, including at least one North Korean missile.
“A total of 81 missiles were shot down, 11 of which were cruise missiles intercepted by our F-16s,” he added. But regional government heads and energy companies reported several missiles evaded air defences and landed direct hits on critical infrastructure.
The recent barrage marks the latest escalation in Russia’s campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. With the coldest weeks of winter approaching, Ukraine is facing severe power shortages, having lost more than half of its electricity production capacity.
Zelenskyy said the escalating Russian attacks were a sign that the Kremlin was not seeking an end to the war it started nearly three years ago. “This is Putin’s ‘peace plan’ — to destroy everything,” the president said. “This is how he wants ‘negotiations’ — by terrorising millions of people.”
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SOURCE: www.ft.com
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