The strikes were in response to Kiev’s “terrorist attacks on civilian sites inside Russia,” the Defense Ministry has said
Russian forces conducted large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s military and energy infrastructure overnight, the Defense Ministry has said.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry confirmed earlier reports of an attack on the neighboring country’s infrastructure, saying it was “in response to Ukrainian terrorist attacks on civilian sites inside Russia,” and involved air- and ground-launched high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and long-range drones.
It said the targets included defense-industry plants, energy facilities supporting their operations, and port infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces, adding: “The objectives of the strike have been achieved. All designated targets have been hit.”
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky said the strikes affected Dnepropetrovsk, Chernigov, Odessa, Lviv, Volyn, and Nikolaev regions, as well as parts of Russia’s Zaporozhye Region occupied by Ukrainian forces. “The main targets of these strikes are again energy,” he said, adding that the attack involved more than 650 drones and 51 missiles.
He also confirmed earlier reports that one of the strikes “burned down” the main railway station building in Fastov, around 70km southwest of the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry reported blackouts in Odessa, Chernigov, Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, and Nikolaev regions, and said “hourly outage schedules are currently in effect in all regions of Ukraine.”
Russia has conducted strikes on Ukrainian military-related infrastructure for months, saying the attacks are retaliation for Kiev’s “terrorist” raids inside Russia, which often target critical infrastructure and residential areas. Moscow maintains that it never targets civilians.
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