Russian Missile Strikes Impact Key Infrastructure in Ukraine

Authorities in western Ukraine reported significant damage to critical infrastructure following a series of missile strikes attributed to Russia. The attacks occurred early on Wednesday, prompting air alerts throughout the country.

This wave of airstrikes comes on the heels of Ukraine's announcement of a substantial aerial operation targeting Russian military sites, marking one of the most extensive assaults on Russian territory since the onset of the conflict in February 2022. These operations reportedly reached facilities located hundreds of miles from the front lines, striking industrial and energy hubs.

Svitlana Onyshchuk, the Governor of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, confirmed via social media that critical infrastructure was hit in the Prykarpattia area. She noted that regional air defense systems were activated and reported no casualties, stating that the situation was being managed effectively.

In the neighboring Lviv region, authorities disclosed that two critical infrastructure sites were struck in the Drogobych and Stryi districts. Governor Maksym Kozytsky reassured the public that, while there was damage, there were no reported casualties.

In response to the extensive missile attacks, the Ukrainian national grid operator announced emergency power outages across seven regions, including Donetsk. Energy Minister German Galushchenko indicated that these preventive measures were necessary to manage the transmission system effectively due to the scale of the strikes.

The situation in Donetsk remains critical, with the regional governor confirming that essential infrastructure had been affected within the last 24 hours, although specific details regarding the timing of the strikes were not provided.

Additionally, the mayor of Kherson reported that portions of the city were experiencing power outages as a direct result of the missile barrage, although specific figures regarding the population affected were not disclosed.

Ukrainian officials had earlier issued nationwide air raid alerts, warning citizens of incoming cruise missiles targeting various regions, including the central city of Kryvyi Rig, the northern Chernigiv region, the central Poltava region, and the southern Mykolaiv region. The air force indicated that a group of cruise missiles was also directed towards the capital, Kyiv.

The Russian military has been conducting a prolonged bombing campaign aimed at Ukraine's energy infrastructure, asserting that these strikes are targeted at facilities that support Ukraine's military operations. In response, the Russian military has accused Ukraine of utilizing Western-supplied missiles in the recent attacks, vowing that these actions would not go unanswered.