Russian forces attacked power generation and transmission facilities in six of Ukraine’s oblasts on the night of 8 May.
Russian military launched a massive attack on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II.
“Nazi Putin’s massive missile attack on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II. The whole world must clearly understand who is who. The whole world has no right to give Nazism another chance,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
According to the Ministry of Energy Infrastructure, Russia hit its facilities in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia, the Ministry of Energy reported.
Herman Halushchenko, the Minister of Energy, said “The enemy [Russians – ed.] does not abandon plans to deprive Ukrainians of light.”
In Kirovohrad Oblast, an 8-year-old child was injured, and 13 private houses and almost three dozen garages were damaged, Governor Andrii Raikovych reported.
Lviv Oblast Head Maksym Kozytskyi said Russia attacked two critical energy infrastructure facilities in the oblast. At about 5 am, they hit a heating plant in the Chervonohrad district and a gas storage facility in Stryi district with cruise missiles.
During the second air alert at about 6:30 am, Russian forces attacked the Lviv Oblast with Kinzhal missiles. There were reportedly injured as of 8 am. Kozytskyi said for Radio Liberty that Lviv Oblast lacks air defense systems.
In Kyiv Oblast, debris fell in four districts. There were two injured. Russia attacked Kyiv Oblast with cruise missiles and Shahed drones, damaging 14 private houses, Oblast Military Administration Ruslan Kravchenko said.
Russian attack caused a fire at a civilian infrastructure facility in the Brovary district of Kyiv Oblast. Two people were injured there, a 62-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man, Brovary Mayor Ihor Sapozhko said.
Ukraine’s air defenses reported the downing of 59 air targets: 33 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, four Kalibr cruise missiles, two Kh-59/Kh-69 guided missiles, and 20 Shahed-131/136 strike UAVs. Ukrainian anti-aircraft and electronic warfare units, mobile fire groups, and fighter jets were reportedly involved in the combat mission.
Russia launched missiles from Russia’s Tambov, Saratov, Kursk oblast, and the occupied territories, in particular, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Crimea, the Black and Caspian Sea. Crimea as well as other Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine have become a Russian military base and is used for further aggression.
During the Russian attack on Ukraine, Poland scrambled its fighter jets.
Russia has intensified its missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy and electricity infrastructure in 2023-2024. Its previous massive attacks were carried out on 22 and 29 March, and on 11 and 27 April.
The latest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure objects have inflicted over $1 billion in losses to the country’s energy system, said Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with Foreign Policy that Russian ballistic missile strikes damaged half of Ukraine’s energy system.
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