kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on parts of Ukraine on Wednesday, target energy production and forcing authorities to shut down the power grid in some areas despite a frigid winter, officials said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it launched a strike against “critically important gas and energy infrastructure facilities that ensure the functioning of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.” He did not give target locations or other details.
The barrage came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry pledged to respond to what it called an attack on Russian soil using several missiles supplied by the West.
kyiv has not confirmed the attack, although it said Tuesday it had hit an oil refinery and fuel storage depot, a chemical plant producing munitions and two anti-aircraft missile systems, in A missile and drone attack that reached approximately 1,100 kilometers (almost 700 miles) into Russia.
Long-range attacks are a feature of war of almost three yearswhere, on the front line that snakes around 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from northeast to southern Ukraine, armies are engaged in a war of attrition. Russia has made progress on the battlefield over the past year, although its progress has been slow and costly.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 43 missiles and 74 drones overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said. A total of 30 missiles and 47 drones were shot down, and 27 drones failed to hit their targets, according to the statement.
The Russian missiles targeted targets from the Lviv region in western Ukraine, near Poland, to Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, which borders Russia. State energy company Ukrenergo reported emergency power outages in six regions. It often shuts down production during attacks as a precaution.
“The enemy continues to terrorize Ukrainians,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook.
Russia has repeatedly attempted to paralyze the Ukrainian electricity griddenying the country heat, electricity and running water in an effort to break the Ukrainian spirit. The attacks were also aimed at disrupting Ukraine’s defense manufacturing industry.
Ukrainian authorities are trying to rebuild their electricity production after the attack, although the dams have eroded production. Western partners have been help Ukraine rebuild.
“We are in the middle of winter and Russia’s goal remains unchanged: our energy infrastructure,” Zelensky said on Telegram.
He urged Western partners to accelerate the delivery of promised air defense weapons to Ukraine, stressing that “the promises have been made but not yet fully realized.”
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