Energy sector became main target of Russia's massive nighttime strike on Ukraine, says Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has named the country's energy infrastructure as one of the primary targets of a massive nighttime bombardment carried out by Russian forces. According to him, the enemy used about 70 missiles of various bases, including a significant number of ballistic weapons, as well as Shahed-type attack drones. The attack affected the capital and 12 other regions of Ukraine, causing severe damage to civilian objects and critical infrastructure.

Scale of destruction and casualties

As a result of the enemy strike, numerous destructions were recorded in the residential sector. In the city of Pryluky, Chernihiv region, a Russian missile completely destroyed an ordinary five-story residential building. As of now, search and rescue operations are ongoing, with five people reported dead and 26 injured, including five children. Heavy destruction was also recorded in Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia, Oleksandriia, and Kyiv, where civilians were also killed.

Contradictory data

While official Ukrainian sources report the launch of 70 missiles and emphasize the massive nature of the combined attack using ballistics and drones, operational reports from various regional publics and unofficial monitoring channels initially diverged in estimates of the total number of air attack weapons involved and the percentage of targets shot down by air defense forces. Nevertheless, the scale of the geographical coverage of the strikes across 12 regions is confirmed by all sides.

Need for modern air defense systems

The head of the Ukrainian state emphasized that Russian ballistics continue to be the main challenge to the country's security, and modern anti-aircraft missile systems are a vital necessity. Kyiv is continuously working with international partners to find additional anti-aircraft missiles for Patriot systems capable of effectively intercepting ballistic threats. Additionally, it is reported that the Ukrainian EW system "Lima" successfully diverted two ballistic missiles from government facilities in Kyiv earlier.