Large-scale Russian missile attack knocks out Ukrainian power plants

UPI: Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine Wednesday, some slamming into energy facilities that caused power losses in several regions of the country, officials said.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched a variety of cruise missiles that struck Kharkiv and the Khmelnytsky Oblast along with Ivano-Frankivsk. Lviv Oblast officials said "critical infrastructure facilities" had been hit in two districts.

Leader of the Ivano-Frankivsk Military Administration Svitlana Onyshchuk said strikes caused damage to power facilities there, but no injuries were reported.

"It's the middle of winter, and the target for the Russians remains the same, our energy sector," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram. "More than 40 missiles were involved in this strike, including ballistic missiles. At least 30 were destroyed.

"There were also more than 70 Russian attack drones overnight. We constantly need to strengthen the existing capabilities of the Ukrainian air shield."

Zelensky said NATO and the United States have made promises that "have not yet been fully realized."

Officials said the Russian attack started in the pre-dawn hours, setting off air-raid sirens as early as 5:45 a.m., local time. Poland's military scrambled its jets as a precautionary move with some of the attacks landing in western Ukraine.

Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko announced power restrictions in six regions because of the attacks.