Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with massive attack of cruise missiles and drones

Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones, the latest such strike aimed at crippling the country’s electricity system.The Russian military targeted the Ukrainian power grid, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on his Facebook page.“The enemy continues its terror,” he said.Halushchenko said energy workers do everything necessary to “minimize negative consequences for the energy system,” promising to release more details on damages once the security situation allows it.Ukraine’s air force reported multiple strike drones launched at Ukraine overnight, followed by swarms of cruise missiles in the country’s air space.

It said Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine’s western regions.Friday’s attack is the latest in a series of such raids that has heightened fears that the Kremlin aims to destroy the country’s power generation capacity as the winter sets in.Since launching its invasion in February 2022, Russia has relentlessly pummeled Ukraine’s electricity system, resulting in repeated shutdowns of critical heating and drinking water supplies during the bitter winter months in an apparent attempt to break Ukrainian spirits and resolve.Moscow has declared that the attacks are aimed at hobbling Ukraine’s defense industry, thwarting the production of missiles, drones, armored vehicles and artillery, among other weapons.A similar massive attack on Nov.28 involved about 200 missiles and drones and left more than a million households without power until emergency teams restored supplies.Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles for more attacks.On Nov.

21, Russia for the first time used an intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile to strike an industrial plant in the city of Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine.Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack with the Oreshnik missile as r...