Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushchenko, has reported a “massive” Russian missile and drone attack targeting the country’s power infrastructure.
This is the largest assault since early September, with multiple explosions reported across Ukraine by authorities and local media.
Poland, Ukraine’s western neighbor, scrambled fighter jets to patrol its airspace as a security precaution, according to Poland’s Operational Command.
In a social media statement, Galushchenko said, “A massive attack on our energy system is ongoing,” and noted that Russian forces were “attacking electricity generation and transmission facilities.”
In southern Ukraine, the city of Mykolaiv was severely affected, with at least two people killed and several injured. The Black Sea port of Odesa experienced a city-wide power outage. In the capital, Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles and drones fell in several locations, but no injuries were reported.
Poland confirmed that operations by Polish and allied aircraft were underway. “Due to a massive attack by Russia, which is carrying out strikes using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones against sites located, among other places, in western Ukraine, operations by Polish and allied aircraft have begun,” the statement said.
