Russia Targets Infrastructure in Central and Eastern Ukraine

The Ukrainian military has reported that Russian forces launched drone and missile strikes against energy facilities in various regions, primarily targeting the central Ukrainian area of Poltava and the eastern region of Kharkiv. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the attacks involved the use of nearly 400 drones and 35 different types of missiles, resulting in significant damage across Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, and the outskirts of Kyiv. A total of 18 missiles and 78 combat drones struck 15 locations, with debris also falling in six additional areas.

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry indicated that the strikes also impacted gas transportation infrastructure. In Poltava and Kharkiv, Russian forces specifically targeted facilities belonging to the state energy company Naftogaz, employing 35 missiles and 60 drones. The head of Naftogaz, Serhiy Koretskyi, stated that this was the most severe assault on the company's infrastructure to date, with a substantial portion of its facilities sustaining damage. He emphasized that there was no military justification for these attacks, labeling them as a manifestation of Russian hostility aimed at disrupting energy supplies at the onset of the heating season.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy provider, reported that operation at several sites in the Poltava region was halted following the attacks, leaving over 8,000 residents without electricity, according to local authorities.

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the extensive nighttime strikes targeting Ukraine's gas and energy infrastructure, as well as military production facilities. Fortunately, there were no reports of fatalities or injuries in Poltava; however, several schools transitioned to remote learning. In Kharkiv, three individuals were reported injured. In a related incident in the community of Nova Vodolaha, located southwest of Kharkiv, approximately 13,000 pigs perished in a livestock facility due to a fire triggered by the drone strikes.

As the winter heating season approaches, Ukraine is increasing its gas imports while Russia intensifies its assaults on the Ukrainian energy sector. Over recent months, Ukraine has escalated its own attacks on Russian oil refineries, leading to fuel shortages in some regions. Recently, Ukrainian drones struck a refinery in the Russian city of Orsk, igniting fires.

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