[News] Russia launches one of the biggest attacks of the war and hits Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of the New Year

[FNX Magokiler]

Ukraine denounced this Thursday "massive" attacks by Russia with dozens of missiles directed against various regions, including the capital, kyiv, in a new salvo that seeks to destroy the country's energy infrastructure, in the middle of winter. The Ukrainian army congratulated itself on shooting down 54 of 69 Russian missiles on Thursday, according to Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny. However, the country is facing new damage to its electrical network, already badly deteriorated by almost three months of bombardments of this type. The air force also later reported the destruction of 11 Iranian-made Shahed explosive drones. Initially, the Ukrainian presidency had spoken of 120 attacks. "The enemy is attacking Ukraine on several fronts, with cruise missiles fired from planes and ships," the air force announced on social media. Following a series of military setbacks in recent months, the Kremlin changed tack and in October began regularly attacking Ukraine's transformers and power plants with salvoes from dozens of missiles and drones. The result has been severe power shortages and millions of Ukrainians plunged into cold and darkness. Thursday's attacks come just days before New Year, the main family holiday of the season in most countries in the region. For their part, the authorities of Belarus, an ally of Moscow, announced that a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile crashed on its territory on Thursday. The missile, launched by an S-300 air defense system, came "from Ukrainian territory," the Defense Ministry said. Lviv without electricity Lviv, the main city in western Ukraine, was left 90% without electricity on Thursday after the attacks. "90% of the city is without electricity (...) Trams and trolleybuses no longer work in the city, there could be water cuts," Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy said on Telegram. In kyiv, 40% of residents were without power due to attacks on infrastructure outside the city. According to a military official, the air defense was able to shoot down the 16 Russian missiles that were aimed at the capital.

 

 

"Charge your phones and other devices. Make water reserves," kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitchko wrote on Telegram. In Odessa, a major port in southwestern Ukraine, 21 Russian missiles were shot down by Ukrainian air defense, according to Governor Maksym Martchenko. But others hit the mark, so there are "emergency power outages" in the city, he said. In Kharkov, to the northeast, on the border with Russia, the bombings have also targeted "critical infrastructures," according to Governor Oleg Sinegubov, who added that "the balance of destruction and casualties was being established." Since October, Russia has launched hundreds of missiles and drones against Ukrainian infrastructure. For this reason, kyiv asks its Western allies to speed up military aid to provide the country with more anti-aircraft defense systems. No prospects for peace Russian President Vladimir Putin participated Thursday in the commissioning ceremony of several new warships, including a submarine capable of carrying nuclear missiles, pledging to produce more and praising the capabilities of his fleet. Putin presents his invasion of Ukraine, which began ten months ago at the cost of heavy losses, as a necessity for national security, claiming that the West is using the country as a bridgehead to threaten Russia. Faced with the military setbacks against the Ukrainians, Russia has mobilized 300,000 reservists, civilians, to stabilize the fronts. Moscow demands the annexation of four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine, which the Russian army partially occupies. Fighting continues, with a particularly bloody battle for Bakhmut, an eastern city that Russia has been trying to conquer for months, and Kreminna, which Ukrainian forces are trying to retake. The prospects for peace talks are almost non-existent. Ukraine demands the withdrawal of all Russian forces from the country, while Moscow wants kyiv to at least hand over the four regions the Kremlin has claimed as its own since September, as well as Crimea, annexed in 2014.

 

https://www.emol.com/noticias/Internacional/2022/12/29/1082415/rusia-ataque-guerra-ucrania-energia.html