Minimum of 4 individuals died in extensive Russian assault on Ukraine
After the wave of attacks and electricity shortages, officials in various regions of Ukraine were instructed to establish "points of invincibility" - safe locations where individuals can charge their electronics and access snacks during power outages, as stated by Shmyhal.
On Monday, Russia launched a large-scale attack using drones and missiles in Ukraine, focusing on energy facilities. Reports indicated that there were a minimum of three casualties, with widespread power outages reported throughout the nation.
The bombardment started at midnight and lasted past daybreak in what seemed to be the largest assault on Ukraine by Russia in weeks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Russia's attacks during the night and early morning, stating that they included more than 100 missiles of different kinds and approximately 100 "Shahed" drones.
He stated that similar to past Russian attacks, this one was equally despicable, aiming at vital civilian infrastructure.
Russian military launched drones, cruise missiles, and hypersonic ballistic Kinzhal missiles at 15 regions of Ukraine, which accounts for over 50% of the country, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Monday.
Russian terrorists have once more chosen to attack the energy infrastructure. Regrettably, there is destruction in several areas," Shmyhal stated.
Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state-owned power grid operator, has had to carry out emergency power cuts in order to stabilize the system, according to him.
He urged Ukraine's supporters to give Kyiv access to long-range weapons and authorization to use them against targets in Russia.
The US and other Western allies supply Ukraine with long-range weapons but prevent them from using them far inside Russia to avoid increasing the conflict. Ukraine aims to focus on border areas but also aims to penetrate deeper into Russia's infrastructure.
Regional officials reported that energy facilities in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Rivne, and Lviv were targeted in a large-scale Russian assault on Monday.
Ukraine's air force reported several Russian drone groups heading towards various regions of Ukraine, accompanied by numerous cruise and ballistic missiles.
Explosive noises were audible in Kyiv, the capital. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that the attack has caused disruptions in the city's power and water supplies.
Power outages in multiple areas
According to local officials, four people died in different locations across Ukraine - in Lutsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, and Zaporizhzhia. Thirteen additional individuals were injured — one in the Kyiv area near the Ukrainian capital, five in Lutsk, three in the southern Mykolaiv region, and four in the nearby Odesa region.
Power outages and destruction of civilian infrastructure and residential buildings were observed nationwide, ranging from Sumy in the east, to Mykolaiv and Odesa in the south, to Rivne in the west.
In the eastern province of Sumy, which shares a border with Russia, the local government reported that 194 settlements were experiencing a complete power outage, while 19 others were facing a partial blackout. DTEK, Ukraine's private energy company, announced emergency power cuts, stating online that "energy workers across the nation are working around the clock to bring back electricity to Ukrainian households."
After the wave of attacks and electricity shortages, officials in various regions of Ukraine were instructed to establish "points of invincibility" - safe locations where individuals can charge their electronics and access snacks during power outages, as stated by Shmyhal.
Those centers were initially established in Ukraine during the autumn of 2022, following Russia's continuous attacks on the nation's energy facilities.
Russia vows to react to Kursk intrusion
Meanwhile, officials in Russia reported a drone attack by Ukrainians during the night and on Monday morning. In Russia's Saratov region, four individuals sustained injuries after drones crashed into homes in two cities.
Local authorities reported that a drone collision occurred at a residential high-rise in Saratov, while another struck a residential building in Engels, a city with a military airfield that had been previously targeted. The Defence Ministry of Russia reported that 22 Ukrainian drones were captured during the night and morning in eight Russian regions, such as Saratov and Yaroslavl in central Russia.
On August 6, Ukraine initiated an attack into Russia's Kursk region. Kyiv has declared dominance over over 90 villages and established a military command office.
Concerns have been raised about the nuclear energy plant in the Kursk region due to the ongoing fighting. The leader of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, declared that he would personally head a team to inspect the plant on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Kremlin stated that Russia must respond to Ukraine's incursion and that discussing a ceasefire with Kyiv was no longer important.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated that a response was necessary to counter such aggressive actions.
