Russia targets Ukraine’s energy system with 99 drones and missiles

Ukrainian military chaplains attend their graduation ceremony at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Pic/AP

Moscow launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure Friday, with a mass barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting regions across the country, Ukraine's armed forces said. Air raid warnings across the country continued through the night as the strike targeted 10 separate regions, Ukraine's Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, said in a statement on Telegram.

The Ukrainian air force reported that 60 Shahed drones and 39 missiles of varying types were seen across the country, of which 58 drones and 26 missiles were ultimately shot down by air defenses. Ukraine's state-owned grid operator, Ukrenergo, said that the attack deliberately targeted energy infrastructure, including thermal and hydroelectric power plants across central and western regions.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private electricity operator, also said Friday that three of its thermal power plants had been damaged in the attack. Elsewhere, five people were wounded during the attack in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, said local governor Serhii Lysak. The injured included a 5-year-old girl. The bombardment in the west of Ukraine also caused the Polish Armed Forces to scramble its own aircraft, Poland's armed forces said.

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No of Shahed drones allegedly shot down

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