Nov. 17 (UPI) — Russia said Sunday that it destroyed all its planned targets in a sweeping attack on critical energy infrastructure utilities in Ukraine, causing widespread power outages in the war-torn country.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it used “long-range air- and sea-based precision weapons” for the strike. Meanwhile, Russia said it “foiled” an attempt by Ukraine to target Russian facilities using an “airplane-type” drone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the scope of the attack in a statement noting that Russia launched some 120 missiles and 90 drones.
“Overnight and this morning, Russian terrorists used various types of drones, including Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic, and aeroballistic missiles-Zircons, Iskanders, and Kinzhals,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky admitted that “some facilities” did suffer damage from direct hits and falling debris, including in Mykolaiv where a drone attack killed two people and injured six others, including two children.
“My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims,” Zelensky said.
“As of now, some areas remain without power, but all necessary forces are working to mitigate the consequences and restore the infrastructure.”
Energy workers were already attempting to address the consequences of the attack, German Galushchenko, Ukraine’s energy minister, said on Facebook.
Maxim Timchenko, the chief executive of DTEK, said in a statement that power stations operated by Ukraine’s largest private energy company were among those damaged.
DTEK said it had to initiate an emergency shutdown of power in the Odesa region after one of the “most intense attacks” recently against the area. The company said it could not disclose how many power stations were hit.
“As a result, many customers in Odesa and the Odesa region are currently without power,” the company said.
“Shutdowns in Kyiv, Kyiv Region, Dnipropretrovsk and Donetsk regions have now been reversed as energy workers stabilize the system.”