Barran Press - agencies
On November 17, 2024, Russian forces executed one of the most intense assaults on Ukraine in nearly three months, targeting the country’s energy infrastructure with a barrage of missiles and drones, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
The attack involved the launch of approximately 120 missiles and 90 drones, resulting in significant damage to Ukraine's energy system and at least 10 reported fatalities, as stated by Reuters. This onslaught reached areas like Transcarpathia, which is rarely targeted, located in the far west of Ukraine near the borders with Poland and Hungary.
In response to the escalating threat, the Polish military announced on Sunday that it had ordered fighter jets to take off and was mobilizing "all available forces and capabilities" to safeguard the nation. Warsaw has heightened its military readiness whenever it perceives that attacks on Ukraine could pose a risk to its territory.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described the assault as one of the largest aerial attacks, targeting peaceful cities, unsuspecting civilians, and vital infrastructure. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the extensive strike aimed at energy facilities, with Maxim Timoshenko, CEO of the Ukrainian electricity company DTEK, noting the severe damage inflicted on the country's power grid, including DTEK's power stations. He reiterated the urgent need for additional air defense systems from allies.
This massive wave of strikes coincides with the approach of the 1,000th day since the onset of the war in February 2022. The last major missile attack on Kyiv occurred on August 26, when Russia launched over 200 drones and missiles, resulting in seven fatalities.