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Russia Targets Ukrainian Infrastructure12/13 06:08
Russia launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine on Friday, firing 93
cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones, Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing it as one of the heaviest bombardments of
the country's energy sector since Russia's full-scale invasion almost three
years ago.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Russia launched a massive aerial attack against
Ukraine on Friday, firing 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200
drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing it as one of
the heaviest bombardments of the country's energy sector since Russia's
full-scale invasion almost three years ago.
Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that
were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this
year, Zelenskyy said.
Russia is "terrorizing millions of people" with such assaults, he said on
his Telegram channel, renewing his plea for international unity against Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
"A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike -- a massive
reaction. This is the only way to stop terror," Zelenskyy said.
But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year.
President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, has vowed to end the
war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will
continue.
In Moscow, the Defense Ministry said the Russian military used long-range
precision missiles and drones on "critically important fuel and energy
facilities in Ukraine that ensure the functioning of the military industrial
complex."
The strike was in retaliation for Wednesday's Ukrainian attack using
U.S.-supplied the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, on a Russian air
base, it said.
Trump said in an interview published in TIME magazine on Thursday that he
was against allowing Ukraine to hit targets on Russian soil using U.S. provided
weapons.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Trump's stance "conforms to
our position."
"In this case, we have a shared vision of causes of escalation and that is
positive. Obviously, Trump realizes what escalates the conflict," Peskov told
reporters.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said Friday's attack also targeted transport
networks and other key facilities.
Ukraine's biggest private energy company, DTEK, said the attack "seriously
damaged" its thermal power plants.
Russia has repeatedly attempted to cripple Ukraine's electricity system in
an effort to break the will of civilians left in the dark with no running water
or heating and to disrupt Ukrainian defense manufacturing.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said energy workers were doing
everything necessary to "minimize negative consequences for the energy system,"
promising to release more details on damages once the security situation
allowed it.
Ukraine's air force reported multiple strike drones launched at Ukraine
overnight followed by swarms of cruise missiles in the country's air space. It
said Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine's
western regions.
A similar massive attack on Nov. 28 involved about 200 missiles and drones
and left more than a million households without power until emergency teams
restored supplies.
Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is stockpiling cruise and
ballistic missiles for more attacks.
On Nov. 21, Russia for the first time used an intermediate range hypersonic
ballistic missile to strike an industrial plant in the city of Dnipro, in
eastern Ukraine. Putin described the attack with the Oreshnik missile as
retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with longer-range
Western weapons.
He declared that more attacks with the new weapon could follow, and U.S.
officials warned Wednesday that the Oreshnik could be used again in coming
days. There was no immediate sign one was launched in Friday's attack.
Around half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the
war, and rolling electricity blackouts are common and widespread.
Kyiv's Western allies have provided Ukraine with air defense systems to help
it protect critical infrastructure, but Russia has sought to overwhelm the air
defenses with combined strikes involving large numbers of missiles and drones
called "swarms."
Russia has held the initiative this year as its military has steadily rammed
through Ukrainian defenses in the east in a series of slow but steady
offensives.
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