Massive Russian Strikes Across Ukraine Kill 5, Trigger Blackouts

Emergency services work to put out a fire after a Russian rocket attack in Lviv, Ukraine, on17 November 2024 

Russia has launched one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine, targeting the country’s energy infrastructure, killing at least five people, and causing widespread destruction, according to Ukrainian officials.

The strikes were reported in several major cities, ranging from Odesa in the south to Dnipro in the east and Rivne in the west. Kyiv, which has endured near-daily attacks since September, described this as the heaviest assault in three months. In response, residents of the capital took shelter in the metro system.

Two people were killed in the Mykolaiv region following a drone strike, while six others, includingtwo children, were injured. In Odesa, two more fatalities occurred in a separate attack, which also left a 17-year-old boy injured. Additionally, a woman was killed when her car was struck in the Lviv region, according to local authorities.

The attacks caused power outages in multiple regions, including Odesa, where heating, water, and electricity were cut off. Hospitals in the area were forced to rely on backup generators. Ukrainian energy company DTEK reported significant damage to its thermal power plants, with critical equipment severely impacted by the strikes.

As the war approaches its third year, Ukraine faces mounting challenges, with Russia making territorial gains and concerns rising over the future of U.S. support should Donald trump reclaim the white house. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been a primary target, with bombings intensifying in recent months, threatening the country as it enters a harsh winter.

This is Putin’s true response to all those who have called or visited him recently. We need peace through strength, not appeasement, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sibyha wrote on x. His comment likely referred to a rare phone call between Russian president Vladimir Putin and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, one of the few high-level discussions between western leaders and Putin amid the ongoing conflict.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia launched around 120 missiles and 90 drones overnight, targeting various parts of Ukraine. Ukraine’s defense forces successfully intercepted over 140 aerial threats. Zelensky confirmed that multiple regions, including the western parts of the country, were targeted. The enemy's primary target was our energy infrastructure, and unfortunately, some facilities were damaged by direct hits and falling debris, he said. Efforts are ongoing to restore power in the affected areas.

The Russian ministry of defense acknowledged the attack in a telegram post, describing it as a "Massive" strike using "high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons and strike drones" aimed at critical energy infrastructure.

The strike coincides with Russian advances at key points along the frontlines in eastern and southeastern Ukraine, with Moscow reportedly nearing key strategic hubs like the city of Kurakhove. Russia claimed to have captured two more settlements in the Donetsk region on Saturday, though Ukraine has not confirmed the reports. Meanwhile, Russia is preparing for a counteroffensive in the southern Kursk region, where Ukraine achieved its only significant military success this year.