Russia barraged Ukraine on Tuesday with about 90 cruise missiles fired from 14 missile carrier aircraft Tu-95 of its strategic aviation as well as Black Sea warships, Ukrainian Air Force command reported.
The aggressor also used 10 Iranian-made kamikaze drones. According to preliminary data, about 70 of the missiles and all ten drones were shot down by the Ukrainian Air Defense.
The barbarous attack began around 2:30 p.m. and was carried out in three waves, mainly targeting critical infrastructure facilities. The energy minister of Ukraine, Herman Haluschenko, called the attack the “most massive shelling of the energy system since the war started.” He said both power generation and power transmission facilities were hit, and the impact may be felt not only in Ukraine but also in some of its neighboring countries.
In Kyiv, fragments of missiles fell on two apartment buildings, killing at least one person, State Emergency Service told Suspilne.
Emergency power outages are applied throughout Ukraine. All of Kharkiv Oblast, including its capital city, will be de-energized at least until Wednesday morning, and it seems so will be 90% of Ternopil Oblast, according to the heads of their oblast military administrations Oleh Sunehubov and Volodymyr Trush, respectively. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy said power supply is absent in 80% of the city.
The U.S. and U.K. ambassadors to Ukraine, Bridget Brink and Melinda Simmons, respectively, reacted to the missile barrage on Twitter.
Another round of cruel attacks – thinking of our colleagues, neighbors, and friends here in Kyiv and across Ukraine. We will continue to stand with Ukrainians who have stayed strong in the face of Russia’s needless onslaught for months – and with those fighting to defend Ukraine.
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) November 15, 2022
As night follows day, 🇷🇺 follows up humiliating withdrawal from Kherson with missile strikes on energy infrastructure in #Kyiv and elsewhere. 🇬🇧waiting it out alongside 🇺🇦 residents.
— Melinda Simmons (@MelSimmonsFCDO) November 15, 2022
