“Terrorist Acts”: Russia Launches Massive Strike on Ukraine

Russia’s Defence Ministry claims its forces carried out a massive strike on military and military-related targets in Ukraine overnight in response to what it calls Ukrainian “terrorist acts” against Russia.

According to the ministry, the strike targeted “Ukrainian design bureaus, enterprises for the production and repair of weapons and military equipment, assembly workshops for strike drones, flight training centers, and Ukrainian armed forces weapons and military equipment depots”. The ministry asserts that “the objective of the strike was achieved. All designated targets were hit”.

The strikes have had a significant impact on Ukraine’s infrastructure, with nearly 1,100 towns left without power due to continuous air strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called out the increased Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which has disrupted water supplies in some areas and left over 1.5 million Ukrainians without electricity across several regions.

UN officials have condemned the Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy plants, with UN Chief António Guterres denouncing the attacks in the strongest terms. Guterres emphasized that targeting energy infrastructure providing essential public services is “simply unacceptable”.

The strikes have also drawn criticism from human rights organizations, with Amnesty International verifying 17 strikes in 2024 that caused child casualties and accusing Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The Russian strikes appear to be part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt Ukraine’s military capabilities and infrastructure. In recent months, Russia has launched massive air and drone strikes on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure, causing casualties and major damage. The strikes have targeted critical infrastructure facilities, including power plants and oil depots, and have left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity.

The Russian strikes targeted Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, as well as other cities, including Lutsk and Ternopil, resulting in at least three deaths and 49 injuries. According to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Russian attack utilized over 400 drones and 38 cruise missiles, with emergency responders among those killed in a repeat strike in Kyiv. Zelenskyy urged the international community to pressure Russia to stop the war, stating, “Now is exactly the moment when America, Europe, and everyone around the world can stop this war together by pressuring Russia”. Russia’s defense ministry claimed the strikes were a response to “terrorist acts” by Ukraine, targeting military-related sites such as drone assembly units and missile repair centers.