Russian forces carried out extensive bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure last night, the Ukrainian government announced this morning.
Early this morning, energy and gas infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions was again targeted by "massive bombing with missiles and drones," Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook.
Russia fired 67 missiles from the air, land and sea overnight and deployed 194 drones, strike drones and decoy drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said today. Their main targets were Ukrainian natural gas extraction facilities, the statement added.
Ukraine has used French Mirage-2000 warplanes delivered a month earlier for the first time to help repel Russian attacks, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Ukraine also has F16 fighter jets, given to it by the West, to shoot down Russian missiles.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 34 missiles and 100 drones, the military said, while about 10 missiles failed to reach their targets and 86 drones were lost from radar, presumably blocked by electronic means.
He added that all measures have been taken to stabilize energy and gas supplies.
"Russia is trying to harm ordinary Ukrainians and is bombing energy and gas production facilities, not giving up on its goal of depriving us of electricity and heating, causing the greatest harm to ordinary citizens," the minister said.
Air raid warnings sounded across the country overnight, and damage and injuries were reported in several areas.
Authorities reported five people were injured overnight in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine. Mayor Igor Terekhov said one woman had been pulled alive from the rubble and was receiving medical attention. He said key infrastructure and several buildings had been damaged.
In Ternopil in the east, rockets hit an important industrial facility, but there were no casualties, the governor of the region said, warning of possible restrictions on gas supplies.
Earlier tonight, damage was reported to key infrastructure facilities in the Odessa region in the south of the country.
A week after a heated verbal clash between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, Ukraine is facing a freeze on US military aid and a cutoff in intelligence sharing with Kiev. The decision prevents early detection of enemy strikes, according to experts interviewed by AFP.
In contrast to the American withdrawal from aid to Ukraine, the European Union of 800, gathered at an extraordinary summit in Brussels, yesterday approved the European Commission's plan called "rearming Europe" with the aim of mobilizing around XNUMX billion euros, with an emphasis on "the need for a significant increase in defense spending."
In the conclusions, EU members, with the exception of Hungary, agreed that there can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine.
At the summit, European leaders emphasized their readiness to strengthen the continent's defense capabilities, in response to Washington's withdrawal from the conflict.
In addition, a meeting of American and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia has been announced for Tuesday to define "a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire," according to US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced yesterday that he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Zelensky said that after that, his team would remain in Saudi Arabia to work with "American partners," adding that Ukraine wants to achieve a "quick and lasting peace."
Bonus video:
