Russia Launches Massive Attack on Ukraine

By Staff, Agencies

Russia launched dozens of offensive drones and missiles at Ukraine’s cities and towns in the early hours of Monday, causing emergency electricity shut-offs in several cities.

The massive attack, which came in several waves and was continuing late morning, caused multiple explosions in Kiev, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro and many smaller cities of central and western Ukraine. Four people were reported killed in the strikes.

"Fifteen regions suffered today as a result of the massive Russian attack," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a post on Telegram. "Energy infrastructure has once again become the target of Russian terrorists," he added.

Monday's attack is Russia’s first large-scale attack with drones and missiles since Kiev launched its surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region earlier this month.

The electricity shut-offs came just days after Ukraine’s state energy company Ukrenergo reported the system had returned to a stable energy flow.

"The transmission system operator has now entered the emergency power outage mode," Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a statement Monday. "The situation is complicated; the results of the attacks are being clarified."