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On the morning of November 17th, Russian forces launched a devastating attack on the Ukrainian rear infrastructure. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine assessed it as one of the largest missile and drone attacks in history.
As in the case of previously large-scale combined attacks, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that “the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, strike unmanned aerial vehicles at critical energy infrastructure facilities that provided the work of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine and enterprises producing military products. All planned targets have been hit.”
On the other hand, according to the head of the Kiev regime Zelensky, the Ukrainian military successfully repelled the massive attack. About 120 missiles and up to 90 drones were allegedly launched. Kh-101/55 and Kalibr cruise missiles, Kinzhal and Zircon missiles were used. Ukrainian air defense allegedly managed to shoot down more than 140 air targets. F-16 fighters were also involved to repel the attack. According to Zelensky, the main target of today’s Russian strike was the energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Even assuming that Zelensky’s claims are true, at least 60 Russian missiles and drones have reached their targets.
The results of the devastating attack are yet to be fully assessed. Kiev hides its losses and the damage it suffers after the Russian strikes. Both Russian and Ukrainian monitoring channels reported dozens of explosions across the country, including in:
- Kiev
- Kramatorsk
- Pokrovsk
- Vinnytsia
- Nezhin
- Dnepropetrovsk
- Krivoy Rog
- Kremenchug
- Odessa
- Chernomorsk
- Starokonstantinov
- Nikolaev
- Zaporozhye
- Lubotine
- Ivano-Frankivsk
- Yaremche
- Ivano-Frankivsk
- Poltava
- Rovno
- Volyn region
- Lviv region
Heavy damage was inflicted to the energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine announced emergency power outages across the country. According to preliminary reports, the following energy infrastructure facilities came under attacks:
- DniproHPP
- bridge over the Kremenchug water reservoir
- Kremenchug HPP
- Krivoy Rog TPP
- Burshtyn TPP
- Mukachevo substation
- A number of energy substations in other regions
- the ground infrastructure of underground gas storage facilities in Western Ukraine
The following military targets were reportedly hit:
- Starokonstantinov airfield
- military warehouses and port infrastructure in the Odessa area
- Air defense system in Kiev
- Airfield in Mirgorod
- Industrial facilities in Zaporozhye
- military production and logistics hubs in Dnepropetrovsk and Pavlograd
- Ukrainian bases in the Chasov Yar direction.
The result of today’s attack are yet to confirmed and assessed. As it was predicted, the Russian military may launch a series of devastating waves of strikes throughout Ukraine in the coming days and weeks. Meanwhile, Kiev does not change its propaganda tactics. According to Ukrainian officials, Russia has a stockpile of missiles for several more similar strikes.
