Russian troops launch massive aerial assault on Ukraine with missiles and drones, targeting energy facilities
On the night of April 11, Russian troops launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine's territory. Multiple groups of drones were spotted in the evening, followed by missiles from strategic bombers as well as ballistic and "Kinzhal" missiles. Air defense systems were activated, and explosions shook cities such as Kharkiv and Lviv. Energy facilities were targeted in the attack.
The Air Force of Ukraine's armed forces reported that.
The Air Force reported the launch of the Shahed attack drones late on April 10. Throughout the night, after midnight, air raid sirens could be heard throughout Ukraine.
At around 2:30 a.m., it was reported that approximately nine Tu–95 strategic bombers had taken off from Russia's Murmansk region. Just before 4 o'clock, the Tu–95MS bombers executed a maneuver near the launching zones. The launch of cruise missiles was confirmed.
Later, at approximately 6 a.m., the Air Force later reported the movement of four MiG-31K aircraft and later notified about the launch of "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missiles over Ukraine's territory.
Consequences of the attack
Last night, the Air Force announced the deployment of air defense forces and equipment in southern Ukraine, specifically in the Odesa region. Subsequently, reports of air defense operations in the Kyiv region emerged, particularly in response to enemy kamikaze drones.
There were explosions heard in Kharkiv and the surrounding area as a result of rocket attacks by the occupying forces. According to local officials, the invaders launched at least ten strikes in both the city and the surrounding region.
Lighting issues were also noted after the Kharkiv explosions. The mayor's office also stated that the city's energy supply could be affected, as the enemy has once again targeted the energy sector. Mayor Terekhov also announced that the subway would be temporarily shut down for the next few hours. The regional military administration confirmed that power outages have already been fixed.
According to officials, no information is available about the victims in Kharkiv and the surrounding area. The exact locations of the attacks have not been specified. The police reported that Russian troops launched an attack on Kharkiv and its suburbs this morning, utilizing S-300 air defense systems.
As Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the regional military administration, reported in the morning, there were strikes by Shakhed drones and missiles in the Kyiv region.
"The air raid warning lasted for over 5 hours. Unfortunately, a critical infrastructure facility in the Kyiv region was attacked during the alert," he said, adding that no information about the injured and the dead has yet been received.
The official also reported that all emergency services are on site, and the fire at the facility is being extinguished.
Because of the missile attacks, air defense forces and equipment were active in the regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk. Specifically, the enemy launched Kinzhal missiles towards Lviv. The local authorities have not yet disclosed any information on the aftermath.
Explosions that night also rang out in the Zaporizhzhia region.
"During a massive rocket attack at 5 in the morning, the enemy directed air-guided missiles from tactical aviation planes at our region," Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, says.
Fedorov emphasized that the air defense forces destroyed two enemy missiles, but there were also hits – an energy infrastructure object was damaged in the Zaporizhzhia area.
The Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine also said that an energy infrastructure object was damaged in the Zaporizhzhia district due to an enemy missile attack. The extent of the damage is being clarified; there was no information about the victims, the military added.
In the Mykolaiv region, the wreckage of the downed Shakhed drones fell in an open area; there is no information about the destruction and casualties.
In the Odesa region, pieces of crashed kamikaze drones caught fire on the premises of an energy facility. The fire has since been extinguished.
Attack on energy facilities in four regions
According to the head of the Ministry of Energy, this night and morning, generation facilities and transmission systems were attacked in:
- Kharkiv,
- Zaporozhzhia,
- Lviv,
- Kyiv regions.
"Energy engineers are already working on eliminating the consequences," Herman Halushchenko said.
In turn, the DTEK company [the most significant private investor in Ukraine's energy sector —ed.] reported that the Russian Federation hit two of its thermal power plants during this combined attack. Energy experts noted that the enterprises' equipment was seriously damaged.
"After the end of the attack, the power industry quickly started liquidating the consequences and restoring the operation of the equipment. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties," DTEK reported.
The results of the attack and the work of air defense
According to Nataliia Humeniuk, the head of the joint press center of Operational Command "South", the air defense was quite successful during the drone attack. Still, there were also some strikes in open territory. She made this statement during a telethon.
"Energy facilities were under attack by the enemy during the drone wave. The enemy continues to terrorize industry, the power system, and everything that can feed Ukraine. Such attacks are concentrated around important facilities. Using the example of yesterday's day in Odesa, I want to note that the enemy uses tactics of double blows and hits where restoration works are being prepared," Humeniuk said.
According to the "South" Operational Command, 21 kamikaze drones were intercepted and destroyed in their designated area. Seven were taken down in the Odesa region, eight in the Mykolaiv region, and three each in the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
As the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces informed in the morning briefing, air defense forces shot down 37 Shahed UAVs, and in total 40 attack drones were launched by the enemy over Ukraine. The military command added that information regarding the downed missiles is being clarified.
