Russia has conducted coordinated multiple strikes on critical Ukrainian military and dual-use infrastructure, including airfields and energy facilities, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Monday.
The strike involved operational-tactical aviation, various drones, missiles and artillery, the Russian military said. Apart from airfields and energy facilities used to supply “enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine,” some 138 Ukrainian military sites used to amass troops and hardware in the rear were also struck, according to the ministry.
While the Russian military did not specify the exact targets, Ukrainian media reports suggested that Kiev, the southern port city of Odessa, the eastern city of Kharkov, among other locations were affected. According to Ukrainian estimates, the attack involved more than 100 Geran-2 kamikaze drones.
The new strike comes as the two belligerents have seemingly ramped up long-range attacks against each other. Kiev’s recent use of long-range systems, such as the American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles, prompted Moscow to use its brand new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile.
The new munition was combat-tested last week and used for a surprise strike on Yuzhmash, a sprawling Soviet-era plant located in the city of Dnepropetrovsk (known as Dnipro in Ukraine). The factory, which prior to the conflict produced primarily aircraft engines and missile components, had been actively used as of late by Kiev to refurbish and repair assorted military hardware.