Russia launches massive missile barrage against Ukraine

Russia launched one of the biggest missile-and-drone attacks of the war on cities across Ukraine early Sunday, knocking out power in parts of at least three regions

Ukrainian emergency services work to extinguish a fire following a Russian rocket attack in Poltava region. Picture: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP.

Russia launched one of the biggest missile-and-drone attacks of the war on cities across Ukraine early Sunday, knocking out power in parts of at least three regions, with some areas also reporting water cuts.

Ukrainian officials said the attack looked like an emphatic response by Russian President Vladimir Putin to moves from Kyiv’s allies to seek a peace deal after President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory this month. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Putin for the first time in two years on Friday and urged him to negotiate, but Putin stuck to his demands that Kyiv cede territory and remain outside NATO.

“We need peace through strength, not appeasement,” said Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said approximately 120 missiles and 90 drones were launched at targets across the country. Russia hurled Zircon, Iskander and Kinzhal missiles – all difficult to intercept without Western weapons – in addition to Iranian Shahed drones.

The Ukrainian Air Force worked to defend against the attack, using F16, Su-27 and MiG jet fighters, air-defence systems, local mobile groups that focus on knocking down drones, and electronic-warfare units, which scramble GPS signals.

In one video, posted by the Ukrainian Air Force, soldier Natalia Hrabarchuk launched a missile at a target from a portable system. As she fell to her knees and put her hands on her face, an explosion sounded in the background. She had just intercepted a missile. “You hit it, Natasha, you hit it,” a voice off-camera says. It was Hrabarchuk’s first combat launch, the Air Force said.

In all, 144 of 210 targets were intercepted.

“Russian terrorists are once again trying to intimidate us with cold and blackouts, repeating their actions and trying to get results from them,” said Zelensky.

The full impact of the damage is still being assessed. Ukrainian officials said the main target of the strikes appears to have been Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Dtek, the largest private energy company in the country, said the attack caused “severe damage.” Ukrenergo, the state energy company, said energy workers have been killed.

This is the tenth attack on energy infrastructure this year. After a series of barrages this spring and summer, Russia knocked out some 80% of Ukraine’s thermal-power generation and destroyed one-third of hydropower generation capacity. The recent pause in missile strikes allowed Ukraine to restore some equipment, but this new round of bombardment has caused massive damage. Authorities have declined to immediately specify the extent of the impact.

“These attacks again highlight Ukraine’s need for additional air defence systems from our allies to prevent more destruction,” said Dtek Chief Executive Maxim Timchenko. “The supply of power to millions this winter depends upon it.” The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed they launched the attack overnight. “All planned targets have been hit,” it said.

Ukraine’s emergency services are still putting out fires and digging through rubble of homes and buildings across the country.

Ukrainians rushed to bomb shelters and anxiously checked their phones for updates as Russia launched one jet fighter after another. Telegram channels tracking the attack were live all night, clarifying which explosions were interceptions and which ones hit their target.

The attack concluded in the early hours of the morning as emergency crews rushed to the scenes of impact across the country.

In the capital Kyiv, emergency services pulled the remains of a giant missile from an apartment building using a crane. After a resident noticed some debris in a water reservoir near the capital, divers fished out the remains of a large drone.

The bombardment against the southern city of Mykolaiv hit private houses, an apartment building and a mall. Two women were killed and six were injured, including two children. In the western city of Lviv, a teenager suffered injuries.

Videos from the southern port city of Odesa, where some areas experienced both electricity and water outages, show residents lining up to fill plastic bottles with water from drinking fountains.

This bombardment may be just the beginning. Although Russia has attacked Ukraine with drones on a nearly daily basis this fall, it has used ballistic missiles like the ones launched on Sunday sparingly. The tactic has raised fears of Russia stockpiling these difficult-to-intercept weapons for larger attacks.

The barrage comes as Ukraine’s Western partners increasingly accept what some see as a need for peace talks. Trump has made his desire to end the war explicit, and should the U.S. pull military assistance, the European Union is unsure whether it will be ready to compensate for the deficit.

Above all else, Ukraine relies on the U.S. for air defence missiles to arm the sophisticated Patriot system, the best tool Ukraine has for shooting down ballistic missiles such as the ones Russia used in the attack.

On the battlefield, Ukraine is in a weak position, putting it on the back foot for any potential negotiations. While Ukrainians struggle to come up with enough men and equipment to defend against Russia’s offensive, Putin is amassing weapons from allies and troops from North Korea to keep pushing on his advantage. It has also increased its use of Shahed drones.

The damage to the country’s infrastructure means many Ukrainians face a devastating winter, with potential shutdowns of electricity and heating across the country. During his trip abroad this fall, Zelensky warned his partners that Russia may also target nuclear energy infrastructure, which is the most reliable way for Ukraine to power its country.

“The entire world sees and knows that we are defending ourselves against absolute evil, which understands no language but that of force,” Zelensky said Sunday.

Dow Jones