Reports from Ukrainian government and international news agencies

Russia Fires 210 Missiles and Drones in One of War's Largest Attacks, Targeting Ukraine's Energy Grid

Nov 17, 2024, 08:16 AM

Russia launched a massive combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine early on November 17, targeting the country's energy infrastructure and causing explosions in multiple cities, including Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Rivne regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia launched around 120 missiles and 90 drones, including Shaheds and kamikaze UAVs, in one of the largest aerial assaults since August, aiming to disrupt Ukraine's power grid as winter approaches. The attack occurred around 7 a.m., with air raid warnings issued nationwide covering nearly the entire country. Emergency power outages were implemented in Kyiv, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and power and water outages were reported across the country. Ukrainian air defenses were active and reportedly intercepted over 140 airborne targets. The attacks resulted in at least two deaths and six injuries, including two children, in Mykolaiv. The strikes involved various types of missiles, including cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles such as Zircons, Iskanders, and Kinzhals, targeting Ukraine's military-industrial complex and energy infrastructure. Ukraine's energy operator DTEK reported significant damage to power generation and transmission facilities, including thermal power plants and railway infrastructure, prompting widespread blackouts. Residents sought shelter in bomb shelters and underground metro stations as air defenses worked overhead.