Ukraine's energy infrastructure faced a devastating blow as Russia launched a significant drone and missile attack, causing injuries to at least 19 individuals, according to local officials. The Ukrainian military successfully intercepted 35 out of 53 missiles and 46 out of 47 attack drones that were launched at various targets across the country.
Reports of injuries emerged from different regions, including Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk. In the Kharkiv region, a strike near two houses led to the hospitalization of twelve people, including eight children.
This attack is part of a series of sustained assaults by Russia on Ukraine's power grid, which has been ongoing since March. DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy firm, disclosed that two of its power plants suffered severe damage in what marked the sixth attack on the company's facilities in two and a half months.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko highlighted that energy infrastructure in several regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kirovohrad, and Ivano-Frankivsk, had been targeted.
The recent damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure has led to nationwide rolling blackouts, with repairs hampered by the lack of adequate air defenses. The situation could worsen as demand increases during the summer and winter months.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated the country's urgent need for additional air defense systems from Western allies to protect civilians and critical infrastructure. He emphasized the necessity of modern air defense systems like the Patriot and accelerated delivery of F-16s to bolster Ukraine's capabilities.
Tragically, five civilians lost their lives in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region due to Ukrainian shelling, with three others sustaining injuries. The Russian Defense Ministry reported shooting down two Ukrainian drones over Russia's Belgorod region, with no casualties reported.
