Ukraine attacked with 200 missiles and drones, 7 people were killed, power grid targeted
Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 200 missiles and drones on Monday, killing seven people. The attacks targeted power grids across the country while neighbouring NATO member Poland said a drone had entered its airspace. Power cuts and water supply problems were reported in several areas, including parts of Kyiv, officials said, marking the first time in a long time that power or other vital infrastructure has been targeted across the country.
Russia has stepped up its attacks on the Ukrainian power grid. Kyiv said it appeared to be a major effort to paralyze the system before next winter when people need electricity and heating the most.
Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram that the military shot down 102 of 127 incoming missiles and 99 of 109 drones. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, 15 regions were damaged. President Zelensky said the energy sector suffered heavy losses.
US President Joe Biden called Russia's attacks outrageous. Also in a statement on Monday, he said Washington would continue to send equipment to Ukraine to repair its systems and support its energy grid. Zelensky said he had discussed Ukraine's response to the attack with his top commander.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its military used weapons to attack critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine, which it said supports the military-industrial complex. It listed power substations, gas compressor stations, and aircraft weapons storage sites.
The incursion into the western Kursk region
Ukraine has claimed new ground in a major cross-border incursion into Russia's western Kursk region, while Russian forces continue to advance in Ukraine's east. After meeting top officials, Zelensky said a decision had been made to further strengthen the Pokrovsk front, where at least 56 combat clashes took place on Monday, according to the military.
Drones in Poland Airspace
Poland said a search was underway after an object entered its airspace and possibly landed on Polish territory. Jacek Gorczewski, spokesman for the Polish army's operational command, told Reuters that it appeared to be a drone and we believe so because the speed of the flight indicated it was not a missile.
Allowing long-range attacks
Ukraine's air force commander said two Russian drones crossed the Belarusian border. Top officials in Kyiv again urged their allies and arms suppliers to allow long-range strikes into Russia. Zelensky has stepped up his calls for allies to join the country in shooting down missiles and drones in Ukrainian airspace.
Zelensky said Ukraine had developed a new drone missile that was used to attack Russia and that it was more powerful and faster than other hardware in Kyiv's arsenal.
47 people injured
At least 47 people were injured, including four children, emergency services said. Regions that reported power outages or attacks on vital infrastructure include Volyn and Rivne in the northwest, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west, Zhytomyr in the north, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovograd and Vinnytsia in central Ukraine, Zaporizhia and Odesa in the southeast.
attack with cluster munitions
Zelensky said some civilian facilities were attacked with cluster munitions. Neighboring Moldova, whose grid is connected to Ukraine's, reported minor disruptions to its power network. A Ukrainian foreign ministry official said a hydropower plant in the Kyiv region had been targeted. A video posted on social media showed a damaged dam and fire after an apparent attack on a plant. A separate clip showed a missile hitting a reservoir.