Reports of heavy attacks across Ukraine
Five people are dead after an overnight wave of Russian missile and drone strikes in several Ukrainian regions. These attacks hit cities all over the country including Kharkiv Zaporizhzhia Poltava Kherson Sumy and Kherson.
The authorities described this attack as the worst in the last ten days.
Targeted energy infrastructure
Officials in Ukraine said that Russia had launched an array of weapons, including cruise missiles (ballistic), air-launched missiles (cruise missiles) and drones. Numerous strikes targeted civilian areas as well as the energy infrastructure.
Zaporizhzhia suffered heavy damages after drones and missiles hit residential buildings. Strikes in Poltava damaged residential buildings, including a hotel. At least two people were killed and several more injured. In Kherson, a civilian died after shelling hit his home.
Reports on air defence damage
Ukraine’s Air Force said that it had detected an attack of a massive scale involving hundreds drones and many missiles.
Moldova Reports Energy Disruption
The strikes also affected Moldova. After damage was done to the energy infrastructure of Odesa, a key connection between Europe and Ukraine has been disrupted.
Officials from Moldova said that alternative routes of energy supply are in place, but they warned the situation is still unstable.
War dynamics and political tensions
The Ukrainian leadership has said that the timing of these attacks is indicative of a strategy to escalate. The officials warned that large-scale strikes are now occurring regularly and often within just a few days or weeks.
The Ukrainian president also said that distractions from global politics could reduce international attention to the war.
Both Russia and Ukraine continue to report on daily counterattacks and attacks, but frontline progress is slow.
