Long-range Russian strikes have targeted Ukraine’s energy facilities and drone-making plants, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
Electric substations providing power to Kiev’s forces and military-industrial complex were hit in four Ukrainian regions overnight, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The affected facilities were located in Belaya Tserkov in Kiev Region, near Krivoy Rog in Dnepropetrovsk Region and in the area of the city of Cherkasy in Cherkasy Region, the statement read.
In Vinnitsa Region in the western part of the country, a traction substation converting electric power for the needs of the railway system was also attacked, it added.
According to the ministry, another target of the raid was the Globinsky Plant in Poltava Region where long-range UAVs were assembled and stored.
A dry-cargo ship carrying weaponry and military equipment for Ukrainian troops was hit in the Black Sea as part of the ongoing blockade of the port of Odessa, the MOD said.
The strikes were apparently carried out exclusively by drones, as the statement did not mention the use of any missiles.
Russian attacks have put Ukraine’s power system under heavy strain ahead of the winter period, with reports of lengthy blackouts coming from Kiev and other major cities. On Sunday, public transport and industrial facilities remained paralyzed in the capital. Most of its districts were left without electricity, heating, and water supply, according to witnesses.
Moscow has ramped up its long-range campaign against Ukrainian military-related infrastructure and the defense-industrial base in recent months in response to Kiev’s terrorist attacks deep into Russia that targeted civilian facilities, including oil refineries, and residential areas. The Russian Defense Ministry maintains that it never targets civilians.
The latest bombardment comes ahead of another round of talks between delegations from Russia, Ukraine, and US scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and Wednesday. Moscow says that there should be no pause in fighting during the negotiations as it would be used by Kiev to rearm and reconstitute its forces.
Despite Ukraine’s continued setbacks on the front line and inability to counter Russian long-range missile and drone strikes, it appears Kiev will continue to reject any concessions coming into the UAE meeting. Sergey Leschenko, an aide to Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, said last week that Kiev’s delegation in Abu Dhabi would insist on “halting the fighting where it’s currently taking place, without giving up any Ukrainian territory.”
Moscow has repeatedly said it will not accept a temporary ceasefire, arguing that the conflict requires a permanent settlement that addresses its root causes and recognizes the new territorial realities on the ground.