KYIV, Ukraine — A massive barrage of Russian cruise missile and drone strikes hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other Ukrainian cities early Monday, knocking out water and power supplies in retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Fleet.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s power plants and other key infrastructure as the war enters its ninth month, forcing rolling power cuts.
“The Kremlin is taking revenge for military failures on peaceful people who are left without electricity and heat before the winter,” Kyiv region Gov. Oleksii Kuleba said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Monday’s bombardment was meant to retaliate for what he said was Saturday’s unsuccessful Ukrainian aerial and underwater drone attack on Russia’s Sevastopol-based Black Sea Fleet on the Russian-annexed Crimea Peninsula.
“Partly, yes. But it’s not all we could have done,” Putin responded, regarding retaliation, at a press conference in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.
He claimed Ukrainian drones had traveled to their targets through an internationally agreed zone meant to ensure the safety of ships exporting grain from Ukrainian ports. The threat from such a trajectory endangered Russian ships patrolling the zone as well as the grain ships themselves, Putin said, justifying his country’s suspension of its participation in the deal that enabled the exports.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces carried out “strikes with long-range, high-precision air- and sea-based weapons against the military command and energy systems of Ukraine.”
“The goals of the strikes were achieved. All designated targets were hit,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, 12 ships with grain left Ukrainian ports on Monday despite a Russian threat to reimpose a blockade that threatened hunger across the world, Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure said. But the grain transport was thrown into doubt after Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement late Monday that “traffic along the security corridor defined by the Black Sea Initiative has been suspended” over allegations that Ukraine has been using the zone to strike Russian forces.
In Monday’s ground attacks, Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 44 of more than 50 cruise missiles that Russia launched.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Russian missiles and drones hit 10 Ukrainian regions and damaged 18 sites, mostly energy facilities. Hundreds of localities were left without power, he said on Facebook. Thirteen people were wounded, Ukrainian Police Chief Ihor Klymenko said.
Loud explosions were heard across the Ukrainian capital as residents prepared for work. The emergency services sent out text message warning about the threat of a missile attack, and air raid sirens wailed for three hours.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 80% of consumers in the city of 3 million were left without water because of damage to a power facility. By Monday evening, workers had reduced the percentage to 40% and the number of apartments without electricity from 350,000 to 270,000.
To cut power consumption, Kyiv authorities extended intervals between subway trains and replaced electric trolleybuses with buses, Klitschko said.