Russia has launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy sector: 93 missiles and 200 drones
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on one of Russia’s largest strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. On the night of December 13 and in the morning of the same day, the aggressor country launched 93 missiles and 200 attack drones. The President wrote about this on his Telegram channel.
The Ukrainian Air Defense Forces shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles destroyed by F-16 fighters. According to Zelenskyy, at least one North Korean missile was among the arsenal used.
The President called the attack another attempt by the Kremlin to destroy Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and create a humanitarian catastrophe.
“This is another of Putin’s “peaceful” plans to destroy everything. Terror against millions of people is his ‘negotiation’. The lack of reaction from the world only encourages the aggressor. We need a strong response to terrorism,” Zelenskyy said.
The Head of State emphasized the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia and providing Ukraine with additional air defense systems, such as the Patriot, to more effectively combat Russian missiles.
On the night of December 13, Russia launched dozens of attack drones, and in the morning, it carried out a massive missile attack. Missiles of various types were launched, including ballistic, cruise (Kalibr, X-101) and hypersonic Daggers.
Explosions were heard in various regions of Ukraine, including Odesa, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. Ternopil region suffered significant damage, leaving 50% of the region’s consumers without electricity.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga called the attack a blow to energy infrastructure and called on international partners to provide 20 air defense systems. US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink emphasized that Russia had fired a “barrage of ballistic missiles” attacking critical facilities.
According to the IAEA, the shelling caused five of the nine operating power units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants to reduce electricity generation.
“This is further evidence that Russia continues to use energy as a weapon, striking critical infrastructure,” the agency said in a statement.
Ukraine continues to deal with the consequences of terrorist attacks, calling on the international community to take decisive action against the aggressor.
