Russian forces have launched a series of missile and drone strikes targeting multiple regions in Ukraine, resulting in at least four fatalities, according to the Ukrainian military. This follows a major attack on Ukraine’s energy grid that has sent shockwaves throughout the country.
Two individuals lost their lives when a hotel in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih was “destroyed,” as reported by local officials. Additionally, two more deaths were confirmed from drone attacks in the city of Zaporizhzhia, located east of Kryvyi Rih.
Air defense systems in the Kyiv region were activated multiple times overnight to intercept missiles and drones aimed at the capital. Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, stated that Ukrainian air defenders shot down approximately 15 drones and several missiles during the nighttime assault. “Everything that flew towards the capital of Ukraine was destroyed,” he commented.
During the attack, Russia launched a total of 91 projectiles, including 10 missiles and 81 Iranian-designed attack drones. The day before, Russia had attacked with over 200 missiles and drones, which resulted in at least seven casualties and damage to energy infrastructure. U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the attacks as “incomprehensible” and emphasized that Russia would never succeed in Ukraine. “Let me be clear: Russia will never succeed in Ukraine, and the spirit of the Ukrainian people will never be broken,” Biden stated in an announcement.
Residents of Kyiv sought shelter in metro stations while explosions, presumably caused by air defense systems, were heard. “We are always worried. We have been under stress for almost three years now,” explained Yulia Voloshyna, a 34-year-old lawyer who took refuge in the metro. “It was very scary, to be honest. You never know what to expect.”
While the extent of Tuesday’s attacks was not immediately known, the Ukrainian air defense reported detecting multiple clusters of drones. Furthermore, it was disclosed that Russian strategic bombers and supersonic fighter jets had been dispatched from Russian airports.
Several Russian military bloggers described the attacks as a “revenge strike” following Ukraine’s surprising incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. The Kremlin has indicated that a response to Ukraine’s actions will occur, although Ukrainian forces have claimed further progress in the area.
Alex Gatopoulos from Al Jazeera reported that Monday’s attacks were “the worst air assault Ukraine has endured in several months,” focused on crippling the country’s electricity and water supply. With the war now in its third year, Russia’s long-range attacks show no signs of abating.
The Kremlin has denied targeting civilians in the war initiated by President Vladimir Putin with a large-scale invasion of the smaller neighbor in February 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defense has claimed that their attacks hit “all designated targets” within Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure.
According to Serhiy Lisak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Kryvyi Rih is located, there may still be two civilians trapped under the rubble of the hotel that was struck. Five people were also reported injured in the attack.
In Zaporizhzhia, two individuals were killed, and four were injured during the night, as reported by Ivan Fedorov, the governor of the Zaporizhia region. “Such are the consequences of the nighttime attack with Shahed drones on Zaporizhzhia,” Fedorov stated.