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Ukraine came under a “massive missile and drone” attack, Energy
Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. At least 10
people, including a child, were injured, authorities said.
“Russia is trying to hurt ordinary Ukrainians by striking energy
and gas production facilities, without abandoning its goal of
leaving us without light and heat, and causing the greatest harm
to ordinary citizens,” Halushchenko wrote.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s power grid during the
war. The attacks have depleted electricity generation capacity
and disrupted critical heating and water supplies. Ukrainian
officials have accused Russia of “weaponizing winter” in an
effort to erode civilian morale.
Russia fired 67 missiles from air, land and sea and launched 194
strike and decoy drones, Ukraine’s air force said. Their primary
target was Ukraine’s natural gas extraction facilities, it said.
For the first time, Ukraine deployed French Mirage-2000
warplanes delivered a month ago to help repel the attack,
according to the air force. Ukraine also has Western-supplied
F-16 fighter jets to shoot down Russian missiles.
Ukrainian defenses downed 34 missiles and 100 drones, the air
force said, while up to 10 missiles didn’t reach their targets
and 86 drones were lost from radars, presumably jammed by
electronic warfare.
Western-supplied air defense systems are crucial for Ukraine’s
fight but further U.S. help is uncertain under U.S. President
Donald Trump, who says he is determined to end the war and has
paused American military aid for Kyiv as a way of pressuring
Zelenskyy to negotiate.
In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said Thursday he would travel
to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet the country’s crown prince,
and his team would stay on to hold talks with U.S. officials.
Zelenskyy welcomed a European Union plan to bolster the
continent’s defenses. He expressed hope that some of the new
spending could be used to strengthen Ukraine’s own defense
industry.
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