Ukraine: massive Russian attack with over 100 missiles and drones, hitting 15 regions including Kiev.

Ukraine has been the scene of a massive attack by Russian forces, involving several regions of the country, including the capital Kiev. The offensive saw the launch of over a hundred missiles and an equal number of drones, mainly aimed at Ukrainian energy infrastructure. These attacks hit over fifteen regions, including the westernmost territories, close to Poland. It is one of the most violent attacks in recent weeks, which has caused at least five victims, according to preliminary estimates by the Ukrainian authorities. In response to the attacks, the population sought refuge in Kiev's metro stations, while the authorities ordered preventive power cuts to limit the damage.

The European Union has strongly condemned the incident, calling the Russian attacks “barbaric”. A spokesperson for the European Commission’s External Action Service said these acts of aggression will only “strengthen the EU’s resolve to continue and intensify its support to Ukraine”, promising to increase the provision of military support, including air defence systems that have proved crucial in saving lives. The EU also reiterated that deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure constitute war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity, saying all those responsible, from commanders to perpetrators, will be held to account.

Despite international support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has clearly expressed his dissatisfaction, stressing that the help provided so far is not enough. Zelensky launched an appeal to Western countries to grant Kiev full freedom to use the weapons supplied by NATO also to strike targets on Russian territory. Zelensky also criticized the international community for its weak and inadequate response to the acts of terror perpetrated by Russia, arguing that this lack of strong decisions only fuels Russian aggression. The Ukrainian president declared that “Putin can only do what the world allows him to do,” underlining the need for more decisive decisions by world leaders to end the war.

Making matters worse was the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who asked Western states not only to approve Ukraine's long-range attacks against all legitimate military targets on Russian territory, but also to use the capabilities of air defense of partner countries to shoot down Russian missiles and drones near their airspace. Kuleba then called for direct intervention by NATO countries, highlighting the need for greater international military involvement to counter Russian aggression.

The Polish army has reported that a "military object", probably a drone, crossed its airspace during Russian bombing in Ukraine. Poland responded by activating military aircraft operations, also involving allied armed forces in the south-east of the country, near the Ukrainian borders. This incident has further fueled tensions between Russia and Western countries, with Moscow already accusing the West of being directly involved in the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that the Ukrainian offensive on Russian territory, which began on August 6, will not go unanswered, suggesting that the Russian reaction could go well beyond today's bombings.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that today's attacks were conducted using a combination of missiles launched from aircraft, naval vessels and drones. The main targets of the attacks included electricity substations, gas compressor stations and storage sites for weapons supplied by Western countries in the Kiev and Dnipro regions. Moscow said these attacks disrupted rail transport of weapons and ammunition to the front line, thus limiting Ukrainian defensive capabilities.

Ukrainian sources reported that Kiev's large hydroelectric power station, located in Vyshgorod, a few kilometers north of the capital, was also bombed, although the dam was not compromised. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine was preparing its responses to Russian attacks, highlighting the need to gain long-range strike capabilities and lift restrictions on strikes against enemy military targets. Umerov also stated that Ukraine is working on an armed response using weapons of its own production.

Meanwhile, Moscow said it shot down twenty Ukrainian drones overnight, aimed at several Russian regions, including the Saratov region, where a residential building was hit, damaging eleven apartments and injuring four civilians. Another Ukrainian drone attempted to attack an oil refinery in Yaroslav, about 300 kilometers northeast of Moscow. In Siberia, a fire of uncertain origin devastated a large refinery in Omsk, causing one death and six minor injuries.

The Russian attack forced Kiev to implement an emergency blackout that caused significant disruptions to the transportation system, including train delays and shutdowns. Four subway stations in the capital have been transformed into shelters to protect civilians from bombings. Furthermore, Ukrainian authorities confirmed that during today's attack, Russian forces launched several ballistic missiles, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, at Kiev. According to the city's Military Administration, the attack began around three in the morning with a dozen drones coming from different directions, all of which were destroyed on the outskirts of the city. Subsequently, takeoffs of Russian Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers were reported, followed by MiG-31Ks armed with Kinzhal missiles.

The escalation of hostilities has also led to increased security measures at NATO bases, such as Geilenkirchen near Aachen, Germany, due to a potential threat of Russian sabotage through the use of drones. German authorities confirmed that the air base raised its alert level based on intelligence information indicating a possible imminent attack.

Zelensky, commenting on the events, stated that “today was one of the largest combined attacks, with more than a hundred rockets and as many 'Shaheed' drones. Like many previous Russian attacks, this one also viciously targeted critical civilian infrastructure.” The Ukrainian president then made a new appeal to the main Western allies - the United States, Great Britain and France - to provide more effective solutions to stop Russian terrorism, recalling that the war cannot be stopped without strong decisions and long-term limitations for the Ukrainian forces.

Strategically, Ukraine appears determined to continue its attacks against Russian territory, despite the growing intensity of Moscow's response. According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Russian tactic of targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure is not producing the desired results. Kovalenko said that Ukraine will continue to regularly strike targets in different parts of Russia and that this trend will only intensify, worsening the situation for Russia itself, which does not appear ready to face a prolonged conflict.

Today's attack marked a significant escalation in the conflict, with potentially devastating consequences for both sides