According to Reuters, Ukrainians had for months braced for a large missile assault, fearing it would further cripple the already fragile energy infrastructure and lead to prolonged blackouts as winter approaches. According to the Ukrainian air force, two cruise missiles, two ballistic missiles, and 37 drones were intercepted, with no significant damage or casualties reported.
Although regular drone assaults have continued, Russia’s last missile strike on Kyiv was on August 26, involving over 200 drones and missiles across Ukraine, which left seven people dead, according to officials.
The head of Kyiv region’s administration said said that falling debris in the Kyiv region injured one man and caused a warehouse fire. Residents were urged to remain in shelters, and around 100 people, including young children and elderly women, gathered in the central metro station, Universitet.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted about the strike on X on Wednesday.
This morning, Russia launched yet another combined attack on our cities, and our air defense responded effectively. Russian missiles—including ballistic and cruise missiles targeting Kyiv—were shot down, along with drones. In total, around 90 strike drones attacked Ukraine.
It…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 13, 2024
Russia had targeted Ukraine’s power grid earlier in the year, causing widespread outages. While power supply has improved, officials believe Russia may be planning another large-scale assault on the grid. Andrii Kovalenko from the National Security and Defense Council warned of Russia’s preparations for a potential “massive” attack, citing stockpiled cruise missiles.
Following Wednesday’s attack, Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s power grid operator, announced it would restrict electricity to businesses due to a reduction in power imports and generation, affecting Kyiv, its surrounding region, and the areas of Odesa, Dnipro, and Donetsk.
