Russian Forces Launch Year’s Most Intense Missile Attack on Ukraine

Russian forces launched an intense missile attack on Ukraine, causing casualties and power cuts. Major strikes targeted Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa, damaging infrastructure and igniting fires. Ukraine's defenses struggled to intercept the strikes, with significant damage reported to power systems and civilian areas.

Russian forces have launched the most intense wave of missile attacks on Ukraine this year, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to several others. Emergency power cuts were implemented in Kyiv following significant damage to infrastructure.

According to Ukraine's grid operator, Ukrenergo, the power cuts in Kyiv were necessary after what Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, described as a brief but intense missile assault on the capital. DTEK, a private energy company, confirmed that the attack severely damaged equipment at one of their thermal power plants. Since the February 2022 invasion, Russia has aimed missiles and drones at Ukraine's power system to disrupt winter electricity and heating supplies.

In Kharkiv, a regular target located 30 km from the Russian border, Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported four fatalities from a missile strike on the city's outskirts. Fires erupted across 500 square meters in a postal terminal, with emergency services rescuing 30 people. In Odesa, five were injured in overnight strikes, and in Kryvyi Rih, two people sustained injuries due to damage to civilian infrastructure, homes, and gas pipelines.