On Monday morning, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv was rocked by several explosions, shortly after an air alarm had been triggered. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko issued a warning on Telegram for residents to seek shelter immediately. The attacks were caused by Russian combat drones that had damaged power supplies in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions of southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that two ballistic missiles were fired over Kiev, using hypersonic missiles according to US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink. In Odessa, public transport had to be stopped due to the attacks, while debris from a rocket damaged a residential building in Kiev. A substation in the Mykolaiv region was damaged and caught fire, resulting in injuries to eleven people, two of whom were seriously hurt.
The Ukrainian army shot down eight of nine Russian drones that launched from the Crimean peninsula. Air strikes were also reported on the Zaporizhia region and artillery shelling in the Sumy region in eastern Ukraine. The Russian army has increased its air strikes against Ukraine’s energy supply, leading to major problems in cities like Charkiw. Repairs to the network in Charkiw were expected to take about a week.
In Russia, a fire at the Novocherkassk power and thermal power plant was attributed to a Ukrainian drone attack, although the cause was officially under investigation. Ukraine has been defending against a Russian invasion for over two years and has expanded its use of drones to target the Russian oil industry. These events highlight the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with both sides engaging in military actions that have led to casualties and damage to critical infrastructure. The situation remains volatile as both countries continue to escalate their attacks and defenses in the region.