Authorities claim more than a dozen people were injured, with a number of power stations damaged
FILE PHOTO: Rescue workers inspect a building allegedly destroyed by Russian drone strikes in Kiev, Kiev Region, Ukraine. © Metin Aktas / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Russian attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure have injured 13 people, according to Igor Klimenko, the Head of Ukraine’s National Police. 18 facilities, mostly power stations, were hit, authorities reported on Monday. Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure for several weeks now after it accused Kiev of ‘sabotage’ attacks on its own power facilities.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal wrote on Telegram that Russian “missiles and drones hit ten regions, damaging 18 facilities, most of them in the energy sector,” adding that while hundreds of settlements across Ukraine have faced blackouts, “the fallout could have been much worse.”
He claimed that Ukrainian air defense systems had managed to shoot down “44 out of more than 50 missiles fired at our territory,” adding that Ukrainian engineers “are working at full capacity” to repair the damage.
He went on to say that local power outages continue in Kiev, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, and Kharkov Regions while urging his fellow citizens to save energy and reduce pressure on the national grid.
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On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Moscow’s high-precision strikes on Ukrainian command and energy facilities had hit all their designated targets. Ukrainian media and officials reported explosions across the country, with local authorities urging people to take cover.
Ukraine has been experiencing regular blackouts since Moscow launched massive strikes on its energy facilities, including power stations, after it accused Kiev of terrorist attacks on Russian infrastructure, including the strategic Crimean Bridge.
