Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s “vile” overnight and early morning attacks on Monday, which involved over 100 missiles and about 100 “Shahid” drones.
Zelenskyy confirmed that the strikes caused multiple casualties, left dozens injured, and severely damaged Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
“Like previous Russian strikes, this one was equally vile, targeting critical civilian infrastructure across most of our regions, from Kharkiv and Kyiv to Odesa and our western areas,” Zelenskyy stated.
The barrage, which began around midnight and continued past daybreak, marked one of Russia’s largest assaults on Ukraine in weeks.
Russian forces launched drones, cruise missiles, and hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, striking 15 Ukrainian regions and covering over half the country, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
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He added that energy infrastructure was once again the target, leading to emergency power cuts implemented by Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s national power grid operator.
Ukraine’s air force reported waves of Russian drones and missiles targeting eastern, northern, southern, and central regions. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the strikes were aimed at critical energy infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and that all designated targets were hit. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, explosions were reported in Kyiv, disrupting power and water supplies.
At least four people were killed in the attacks, including individuals in Lutsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, and the Zaporizhzhia region. Thirteen others were injured across several regions, including Kyiv, Lutsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. Blackouts and damage to civilian infrastructure were widespread, with the eastern Sumy region reporting significant power outages affecting 213 settlements.
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Ukraine’s energy companies, such as DTEK, have introduced emergency blackouts, working tirelessly to restore power to affected areas. In response, Ukrainian authorities reopened “points of invincibility” across the country, where residents can charge devices and access refreshments during the blackouts.
Poland’s military reported that Polish and NATO air defenses were activated due to the Russian attacks.
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