Russia launches 120 missiles and 90 drones in massive attack on Ukraine: Zelensky

Russia on Sunday launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine, described by officials as the largest over the past months, targeting energy infrastructure and killing civilians.

The attack came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the cold winter.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine. Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian defense forces shot down 140 air targets, Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram.

Zelensky accused Russia of a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine. REUTERS
Russia is accused of launching a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones across Ukraine on Nov. 17. AP

“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children,” Zelensky said.

The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to the head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration Serhii Popko.

A firefighter responded to a blaze at a house hit by a Russian drone strike on Nov 17. via REUTERS
This drone hit a house in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. via REUTERS

Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s power infrastructure since Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts.

Ukrainian officials have routinely urged Western allies to bolster the country’s air defenses to counter assaults and allow for repairs.

Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in the capital, Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, as well as the country’s west and central regions, according to local reports.

A police psychologist talked with local residents following a drone attack in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE/AFP via Getty Images

The operational command of Poland’s armed forces wrote on X that Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been mobilized in Polish airspace because of the “massive” Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine. The steps were aimed to provide safety in Poland’s border areas, it said.

One person was injured after the roof of a five-story residential building caught fire in Kyiv’s historic center, according to Popko, who heads the city’s military administration.

A paramedic provided first aid to a resident injured by a Russian drone strike. via REUTERS

At least two people were killed and six were wounded, including two children, in the eastern city of Mykolaiv, according to local Gov. Vitalii Kim.

A thermal power plant operated by private energy company DTEK was “seriously damaged” the company said in a statement on Telegram.

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