At least 11 killed as Russia launches massive attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure

A Russian missile strike on a residential building in Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including two children, according to Ukrainian officials. Another missile attack left the region's administrative center without power.

In total, 89 people, including 11 children, were injured in the assault on the city late Sunday, Ukraine’s state emergency service reported via Telegram. More than 400 residents were evacuated from the building.

"Sunday evening in Sumy became hell, a tragedy that Russia brought to our land," said Volodymyr Artyukh, head of the Sumy military administration, in a Telegram post.

The attack, involving both drones and missiles, targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure amid growing concerns that Moscow intends to cripple the country's power generation capacity ahead of winter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine. Among the missiles were Iranian-made Shahed drones, as well as cruise, ballistic, and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles. Ukrainian defenses managed to shoot down 144 of the 210 aerial targets, according to Ukraine’s air force.

Zelenskyy also reported that a drone strike in Mykolaiv resulted in two deaths and six injuries, including two children. Additionally, two people were killed in the Odesa region when Russian missiles damaged energy infrastructure, cutting power and water supplies. These victims were employees of the state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo.

The coordinated drone and missile assault marked the most powerful attack in three months, according to Serhii Popko, head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration. In Kyiv, one person was injured when the roof of a five-story residential building caught fire due to the strike.

In addition, a thermal power plant operated by DTEK, a private energy company, was severely damaged during the attack.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian strikes have consistently targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, resulting in frequent emergency power shutdowns and rolling blackouts. Ukrainian officials have continually called for stronger air defenses to counter these attacks and assist in repair efforts.

Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in Kyiv, Odesa, and other regions in the west and center of the country. In response, Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, were deployed in Polish airspace to ensure safety in Poland’s border areas due to the ongoing attack on neighboring Ukraine.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the missile and drone strikes on "critical energy infrastructure" in Ukraine but claimed that all targeted facilities were linked to Kyiv’s military industry.

Although Ukraine's nuclear plants were not directly impacted, several electrical substations crucial to their operation were damaged, according to the United Nations nuclear energy agency. As of the latest report, only two of Ukraine’s nine operational nuclear reactors are functioning at full capacity.