Russia launches ‘biggest airstrike’ since invasion against Ukraine

Photo caption, People had to take refuge in the Kyiv metro from the shelling. Article information

• Author, Francesca Gillett y Will Vernon
• Author’s title, BBC News

• 56 minutes

Russia on Monday launched its biggest airstrike on Ukraine since the war began, the head of Ukraine’s air force said.

At least six people have been killed and dozens injured as Russian forces launched hundreds of missiles and drones into more than half of Ukraine’s regions.

The attack targeted energy infrastructure, causing widespread blackoutsThe government declared a national air raid alert and ordered people to seek shelter.

Russia confirmed it had launched strikes against the infrastructure, one of the tactics it has been using in the war, and said it had achieved all its objectives.

The missile and drone bombardment began across the country in the early hours of Monday and continued into the morning.

According to Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 127 missiles and 109 attack drones. Of these, Ukraine shot down 102 missiles and 99 drones.he reported on Telegram.

Oleshchuk called the combined attack “the most massive airstrike.”

Last December, the Russian military launched 158 missiles and drones against Ukraine, in what was so far the most intense bombardment of the war between the two countries.

While the main target of this attack was Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Moscow is also trying to deplete the reserves of another key resource for Ukraine: morale.

Ukrainians have been euphoric in recent weeks over the recent successful incursion of their troops into Russian territory.in the Kursk region.

Russia reminded with its attack on Monday that it has the ability to bring ordinary Ukrainians back to reality with a bang. It was a message to them, and to politicians in Western capitals, warning that The Kremlin still has the upper hand in this war and can inflict suffering on the Ukrainian population whenever it wants.

The victims

Image source, EPA

Photo caption, One of the affected buildings in Zaporizhzhia.

About 15 regions in Ukraine were hit by Russian airstrikes, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said, using drones, cruise missiles and supersonic missiles.

“There are wounded and dead,” Shmyhal said on the social media app Telegram.

Widespread blackouts

The attacks caused severe damage to infrastructure, with power outages reported in many cities, including Kyiv.and with disruptions to water supplies. One of the few remaining power stations, a hydroelectric plant north of Kyiv, was one of the last targets. The damage is still being assessed.

Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since it began its full-scale invasion from the neighboring country in February 2022. In recent months, it has renewed its campaign of attacks against the power grid, causing frequent blackouts across the country.

In June, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had destroyed half of his country’s power-generating capacity since it began hitting its energy facilities in late March.

To overcome the difficulties, Ukraine started buying energy from the European Union. However, this is not enough and therefore, on most days, the country implements a planned national blackout to protect critical facilities such as hospitals and military sites.

Image source, EPA

Photo caption, Kyiv residents weathered the attacks as best they could in shelters like this one in the metro.

Boosting morale

Until a few weeks ago, 2024 had not been a year of good news on the battlefield for Kyiv.with Russia steadily gaining ground in the eastern Donbas region. There were problems with troop mobilization and Ukraine was reported to be running out of men to fight.

But after their surprise incursion into the Kursk region, videos of soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag over the Russian villages they had captured gave a much-needed boost to Ukrainian morale..

They also demonstrated to the West that Kyiv is still capable of carrying out complex, bold and, most importantly, successful offensives.

On Monday, President Zelensky called on his Western allies, including Britain, the United States and France, to change their rules and allow Ukraine to use its weapons to attack further inside Russia.

Ukraine is currently allowed to use some Western weapons to hit targets inside Russia, but not long-range weapons.

Zelensky also said that “we could do much more to protect lives” if European air forces worked together with Ukraine’s air defense.

Also on Monday, Ukraine attempted to attack an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, a city northeast of Moscow, according to the regional governor. No casualties or damage have been reported.

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