Russia strikes Ukraine’s power grid in ‘most massive’ attack of war

KYIV: Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 200 missiles and drones on Monday (Aug 26), killing seven people and striking energy facilities nationwide, Kyiv said, while neighbouring NATO member Poland reported a drone had probably entered its airspace.
Power cuts and water supply outages were reported in many areas, including parts of Kyiv, as officials said the attack – 2-1/2 years into the war – targeted power or other critical infrastructure across the country.Russia stepped up its strikes on the Ukrainian power grid in March in what Kyiv has said looked like a concerted effort to degrade the system ahead of next winter when people need electricity and heating most.
The air force downed 102 out of 127 incoming missiles and 99 out of 109 drones, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram, describing the attack from the air, ground and sea as “the most massive” of the war.
NATO member Poland said a search was underway after an “object” entered its airspace and possibly landed on Polish territory.
“Most likely it was a drone and we assume so, because the trajectory of the flight and the speed indicate that it was definitely not a missile,” Jacek Goryszewski, spokesperson for the Polish army’s operational command, told Reuters.
Two Russian drones crossed the border into Belarus, Ukraine’s air force commander said.
Top Kyiv officials again urged their allies and arms suppliers to allow long-range strikes into Russia.
Zelenskyy also redoubled his call for allies to join the country in shooting down missiles and drones over Ukrainian airspace.
Ukraine had no powerful long-range weapons at the start of the invasion but has since developed many models of long-range attack drones and used them to hit targets deep inside Russia, ranging from oil refineries to military airfields.
Over the weekend, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had developed a new “drone missile” that had been used to attack Russia and was more powerful and faster than other hardware in Kyiv’s arsenal.
At least 47 people were injured, including four children, emergency services said.
The regions that reported strikes on power or critical infrastructure included Volyn and Rivne in the northwest, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west, Zhytomyr in the north, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Vinnytsia in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the southeast and Odesa in the south.
Zelenskyy said some civilian facilities were attacked with cluster munitions.
Neighbouring Moldova, whose grid is linked to that of Ukraine, reported small disruptions to its power network.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry official said a hydropower plant in the Kyiv region had been targeted. A video posted on social media and verified by Reuters showed a damaged dam and a fire after an apparent strike at a plant. A separate clip, also verified, showed a missile hitting a water reservoir.
In the northeastern Sumy region, from where Ukraine launched its incursion into Russia on Aug. 6, authorities said a railway infrastructure facility had been struck, but did not say which one or give further details.