Massive Drone and Missile Attack by Russia Devastates Ukrainian Infrastructure
Polish air force is on high alert due to ‘intense’ Russian air activity over neighboring Ukraine.
Russia has launched numerous missiles and drones at Ukrainian targets on the morning of Aug. 26. The strikes hit energy facilities across the country, resulting in at least five deaths, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in a Telegram post, “It was one of the biggest combined strikes. More than a hundred missiles of various types and about a hundred Shahed drones were used.”
He further added, “Like most previous Russian strikes, this one is just as sneaky, targeting critical civilian infrastructure”.
Local officials in Ukraine reported that the strikes affected energy infrastructure in multiple regions, including Kyiv, leading to power cuts and water supply disruptions.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal mentioned that a “massive Russian attack” had impacted 15 regions of Ukraine. He stated that the attacks involved drones and cruise missiles and had caused casualties, the exact number of which is still unknown.
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One person was reported dead in the Dnipropetrovsk region, with additional casualties in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Volyn, according to local officials.
Explosions rocked central Kyiv, with air defenses engaging incoming missiles and drones on the city’s outskirts.
A railway facility in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region was targeted, from where Kyiv had launched a cross-border offensive into Russia in early October.
Kyiv’s air force stated that Russian TU-95 strategic bombers and other military aircraft were involved in the strikes.
Moscow has confirmed the attack, stating that it targeted critical power infrastructure of the Ukrainian defense industry.
Moscow claims to use precision weapons to avoid civilian casualties and asserts that the strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure serve purely military purposes.
Last week, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv warned of an increased risk of attack around Ukraine’s Independence Day on Aug. 24.
Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly in formation during military drills at Starokostiantyniv Air Base in Khmelnytskyi Region, Ukraine, on Oct. 12, 2018. Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Polish Air Force on Alert
The Polish Armed Forces have scrambled military aircraft in response to the Russian activities in neighboring Ukraine. The Operational Command of the Polish military stated on the X social media platform that there has been intense Russian aircraft activity associated with strikes on targets in western Ukraine.
Poland, as a NATO member, shares a border of about 330 miles with northwestern Ukraine.
On Aug. 26, Polish authorities reported that a drone had likely entered its airspace during the Russian bombardment.
A spokesman for the Polish military’s operational command informed Reuters that military personnel are searching for the object within Polish territory to determine its origin.
In a previous incident in late 2022, a missile of unknown origin landed in Polish territory, leading to temporary concerns about a clash between Russia and NATO. However, it was later determined that the missile had been launched into Poland by Ukrainian forces in error.
Reuters contributed to this report.
