dpa
Kiev
Russia has pounded Ukraine with a massive barrage of missiles, cruise missiles and drones in what officials said was one of the heaviest air attacks in two and a half years of war.
Fifteen of Ukraine’s 24 regions were hit in the assault which was directed against Ukraine’s energy sector, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram on Monday.
There have been reports of casualties, he said. With the attacks continuing throughout the morning, reports of fatalities and damages were slow to trickle in. Authorities initially put the death toll at five, with 17 people said to have been injured across the country.
Power outages and emergency power cuts have been reported from Kiev and other regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used more than 100 missiles of various types and some 100 Shahed drones in the attack that took place in the early hours of Monday.
In a brief video message posted on X, he appealed to global partners for “decisive action,” calling for the lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range weapons supplied by Western partners, which currently prevent Ukraine from striking deep into Russian territory.
“Ukraine cannot be constrained in its long-range capabilities when the terrorists face no such limitations,” Zelensky said.
“America, Britain, France and our other partners have the power to help us stop this terror. The time for decisive action is now,” the president said, listing some of the country’s most important and powerful allies.
Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made similar appeals to the country’s partners.
The attacks came after people returned to work following celebrations at the weekend to mark 33 years since Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union.
Air-raid alarms in Kiev sounded until 1:45pm (1045 GMT) due to swarms of combat drones still being registered in the city’s airspace. Videos circulating online showed crowds of people taking refuge in the city’s underground stations.
According to the Ukrainian air force, the Russian army temporarily deployed 11 Tu-95 long-range bombers, which serve as launching pads for cruise missiles.
Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles were also fired at Ukraine, the army said, while Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from the Black Sea.
According to preliminary information, the army located dozens of drones in the air. Ukraine did not disclose whether any military targets were hit.
Due to the proximity of Russian attacks to the Polish border, the Polish military scrambled interceptors, the news agency PAP reported. Aircraft from other allies were also involved in the operation.
Ukraine has been repelling a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022.
Meanwhile, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said he will lead a team visiting the Kursk nuclear power plant in western Russia on Tuesday.
The facility is about 30 kilometres away from the fighting that erupted nearly three weeks ago when Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into Russian territory.
“Given the serious situation, I am personally leading the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in the Russian Federation,” Rafael Grossi said in a statement.
“The safety and security of all nuclear power plants is of central and fundamental concern to the IAEA.” The nuclear power plant is located on the Seym river near the town of Kurchatov.
Last week, Russia told the IAEA that a drone had been intercepted near the plant. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of an attempted attack on the site, without offering any evidence. It is still unclear whether the nuclear plant is a target of the Ukrainian advance.
Grossi has visited the Russian-occupied Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya several times and even stationed an IAEA team there.
The permanent presence of the international experts not only serves as a way to monitor the situation, but also to deter hostilities that could trigger a nuclear accident.
