Russia pounds Ukraine with missiles and drones; energy plants hit

Russian forces launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine, targeting military facilities and key gas infrastructure, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The ministry reported that missiles and long-range drones were launched overnight Friday from various platforms, successfully striking all designated targets.

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Ukraine’s state-owned energy giant Naftogaz called it the largest attack on gas extraction sites since the war began. The company confirmed “critical” damage, with approximately 35 missiles hitting facilities in the Kharkiv and Poltava regions.

In a statement on the company’s website, Naftogaz CEO Sergii Koretskyi said the attack involved 35 missiles—including a large number of ballistic missiles—and 60 drones. He noted that while some were intercepted, “unfortunately, not all of them” were shot down.

“The Russians have again attacked our gas production facilities in the Kharkiv and Poltava regions,” Koretskyi wrote on Facebook. “A significant portion of Naftogaz facilities were damaged, some of them critically.”

Koretskyi emphasized that this was the largest strike on Naftogaz infrastructure since the full-scale war began. He added that emergency crews and company specialists were already working on-site to assess the damage and begin recovery efforts.

“We are working with Ukraine’s partners to ensure the response to this strike—and its impact on the overall situation—is prompt and adequate. Terror must not achieve its goal anywhere,” he stated.

The attack marks a sharp escalation in Russia’s targeting of Ukraine’s energy sector, just as the country prepares for the winter heating season.

Energy facilities in several regions, including gas infrastructure, were subjected to a massive attack. DTEK Group’s gas production facilities were damaged.

Earlier, a massive aerial offensive was launched by Russia on September 7, the largest single-night attack since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. During that operation, Russia deployed over 800 drones, striking the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv for the first time — home to the Prime Minister’s office and other key ministries.

At least two civilians, including an infant, were killed when drones hit several residential buildings in the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv was under air raid alert for 11 hours during the bombardment.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 810 drones, four ballistic missiles, and nine cruise missiles during the September 7 assault. While most were intercepted, 54 drones and all nine missiles hit targets across the country.

This attack exceeded the scale of the previous largest aerial offensive in July, and came amid renewed efforts by Ukraine’s Western allies to mediate a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the escalation, calling it “vile,” and stating:

“Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started a long time ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war. The world can make the Kremlin’s criminals stop killing — all we need is political will.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko also described the strikes as a “massive attack,” noting that the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Odesa, and Kyiv were all targeted.