MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Monday it had launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine, disrupting electricity supplies and the rail transport of weapons and ammunition to the front line.
Ukrainian officials reported earlier on Monday that Russia fired more than 100 missiles and about 100 attack drones into Ukraine during the morning rush hour, killing at least five people and attacking power plants across the country.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that it had fired missiles from the air and sea, hitting power plants in nine Ukrainian regions and gas compressor stations in three regions.
“This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a large-scale strike with long-range, air and sea-based precision weapons, as well as operational and tactical aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, against critical energy infrastructure facilities supporting the work of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex,” the ministry said.
In an apparent reference to Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets, Russia was said to have also attacked storage facilities containing aircraft munitions transferred to Kiev by Western countries at two airfields.
“All designated targets were hit, leading to disruption of electricity supply and disruption of the transportation – by rail – of weapons and ammunition to the contact line,” the statement said.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
