NewsRussia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy sector; Kyiv retaliates against fuel facilities
Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energy sector; Kyiv retaliates against fuel facilities
The energy infrastructure was targeted by Russia in military attacks last night, focusing on the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions in southern Ukraine. As a result of these attacks, civilians were harmed, with 11 people reported injured by the Defense Forces in the region on Monday.
7:33 AM EDT, March 25, 2024
Russian forces launched attacks on the energy infrastructure in the south of Ukraine, as announced by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
"The enemy deployed several waves of Shahed 131/136 drones from the Black Sea basin. Four drones were intercepted and shot down over the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions," was stated in an announcement.
Prior to the drone attack, Russia fired an anti-radar missile, Ch-31P, from the Black Sea, aimed at disrupting air defenses in the Odessa region. However, "the missile lost its combat effectiveness in mid-air," as conveyed by the Defense Forces in the south of Ukraine.
As a consequence of the drone raids in the Mykolaiv region, a fire erupted at an energy facility. In Mykolaiv itself, debris from a downed UAV destroyed a two-story residential building, and the shockwave caused damage to several nearby homes. Preliminary reports indicate that 11 people were injured, with two requiring hospitalization.
Approximately 200,000 residents in Kharkiv, located in northeastern Ukraine, are currently without electricity following a massive Russian missile attack on the country's energy infrastructure at the end of last week. This was reported by Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the military administration in the region, on Monday.
Ukraine Responds
In retaliation, Ukrainian forces have targeted Russian refineries, fuel depots, and thermal power plants. Recently, drone strikes on Russian oil facilities have led to a decrease in fuel production and a surge in fuel prices in Russia, with production falling by 4 per cent and prices at fuel stations jumping by over 25 per cent.
Furthermore, a fire broke out at a thermal power plant in Novocherkassk, in the Rostov region in the European part of Russia, from Sunday night to Monday. Users on social media suggested that an attack by Ukrainian drones was likely the cause.
On Monday morning, the defense ministry in Moscow announced that 11 Ukrainian drones were destroyed in the airspace over the Rostov region the previous night. The authorities in Kyiv have not yet commented on these reports.
