Russia launches fresh missile strikes across Ukraine targeting energy units

LAGOS (CoinChapter.com) — The Russian-Ukraine war is not letting up as President Vladimir Putin continues to launch waves of airstrikes on strategic regions and facilities in Ukraine including the capital of Kyiv.

In detail, the renewed airstrikes come as Ukraine began reveling in one of their biggest wartime successes last week following the takeover of the key southern city of Kherson.

The airstrikes rocked Ukraine from east to west hitting energy facilities and other infrastructure including residential buildings in Kyiv. Notably, the strikes are targeted at Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Volyn, Rivne, Cherkasy, Odesa, Kirovohrad, among others.

On Thursday Ukrainian Air Force said that Four KH-101 cruise missiles and five Iranian-made drones were shot down. The military noted that Russia struck with strategic aircraft Tu-95M from the area of Volgodonsk of Rostov region. The Air Force Command explained that a total of nine missile-carrying bombers launched up to 18 cruise missiles of Kh-101/Kh-555 type.

He further indicated that the targets included an enterprise in Dnipropetrovsk region and a gas production facility. Additionally, the deputy head of the presidential administration, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, reiterated that Kremlin is launching planned attacks aimed at the country’s energy infrastructure facilities.

“Most hits were recorded in the centre and north of the country. The situation in the capital is extremely difficult, special schedules of emergency shutdowns have been introduced.”

Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.

A video in Kyiv, published by a presidential aide, showed a five-story building, a residential structure, on fire. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said three residential buildings were hit but that air defense units shot down other missiles.

Attack Response To Ukraine President G20 Address

Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, said the attack was a response to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s address to the G20. At the G20 summit, Zelenskiy called on world leaders to support Ukraine to end the war on its terms.

The strikes were reportedly launched in waves. Yuriy Ignat, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s air defense forces, said at 5.20 pm Kyiv time that more than 80 rockets had been launched and 20 were still in transit. He said the number exceeded the attacks on 10 October which had been the biggest so far.

Putin earlier said the onslaught was a response to an attack on Russia’s fleet in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. He blamed the attack on Kyiv and vowed to carry out stern retribution against Ukraine. Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014 and has controlled the territory since then. Putin also threatened more aggression, warning that the strikes are “not all we could do.”

Ukraine’s state energy company, Ukrenergo has also disclosed that 80% many of residents are without electricity and water. Furthermore, the CEO of DTEK, Dmytro Sakharuk, said about 40% of consumers are currently without electricity. DTEK Group is a leading private investor in Ukraine’s energy sector.

“Russians have caused very serious damage to transmission facilities — these are substations that transmit electricity from one district to another, through which many regions in the center and west are supplied.”

Sakharuk said.

Matilda Bogner, head of UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine, has also decried the dire situation in Ukraine. She said her teams are trying to verify allegations of nearly 80 cases of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention.

Black Sea Grain Deal Extended

Despite the ongoing battle, Ukraine says negotiators from both warring factions have agreed to extend a UN and Turkish-brokered Black Sea grain export agreement. This is a crucial step to reducing a food crisis caused by the ongoing war.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s minister, said the agreement was reached in Istanbul. Notably, the UN and Turkey are guarantors of the extended agreement.

It is worth noting that the agreement was initially brokered in July by the UN and Turkey to end Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports. Ukraine is a leading exporter of grain and other farm products. Food security experts have warned that shortages triggered by the war will lead to further price rises, with serious consequences for poorer countries already hit hard by the impact of climate change and Covid-19.

“I welcome the agreement by all parties to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative. To facilitate the safe navigation of export of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizers from Ukraine.”

UN secretary-general António Guterres said.

Notably, since the agreement on August 1, Ukraine has exported over 11mn tonnes of farm products to 38 countries worldwide. Interestingly, grain prices fell after the deal was pushed further. Benchmark wheat futures traded in Chicago dropped two percent to $8 a bushel while corn dropped one percent to $6.59 a bushel.