Russia's Missile Attacks on Ukraine's Energy Infrastructure
Reports indicate that Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Ukraine overnight, with a focus on targeting the country's energy infrastructure. Ukraine's air force confirmed that 34 missiles were launched by Russia, of which 21 were successfully intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.
Russia claimed that its air defense systems intercepted over 60 Ukrainian drones in the southern Krasnodar region.
Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko shared on Telegram that energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv were attacked, resulting in an engineer being injured.
Private energy operator DTEK reported damage to four of its thermal power plants, with casualties reported without specific details.
Earlier this month, Russia targeted Ukraine's energy facilities in a similar manner, destroying a major power plant and causing damage to others in a significant missile and drone attack.
Ukraine Seeks More Air Defense Systems as Attacks Continue
The Ukrainian government has reached out to its Western allies requesting additional air defense systems to defend against ongoing attacks. During a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the U.S. will be supplying Ukraine with extra munitions and equipment for their air defense launchers.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a psychiatric hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, sustained damage and left one person injured following a missile strike by Russia. Images from the site reveal a large crater on the hospital grounds, with patients seeking refuge in hallways. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that a 53-year-old woman was wounded in the attack.
Additionally, in the Kharkiv region, a man lost his life during an overnight assault on the city of Vovchansk, as confirmed by Ukraine's State Service for Emergency Situations.
On the Russian side, the Defense Ministry announced that Russian air defense systems successfully intercepted 66 drones over the southern Krasnodar region. Furthermore, two additional drones were downed over the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow.
Ukrainian Energy Ministry Reports Drone Strikes on Russian Oil Refineries
Although Ukrainian officials typically refrain from commenting on incidents within Russian territory, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry broke their silence on Saturday to reveal that two oil refineries in the Krasnodar region were targeted by drones.
In a border village in Russia's Belgorod region, five individuals were injured in a drone strike, according to regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
