Russia launched close to 190 missiles, 140 Shahed drones, and 700 aerial bombs at Ukraine over the last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on March 24.
The president noted that restoration work is underway following a large-scale attack on energy infrastructure on March 22.
Electricity supply has been restored to citizens in some regions following the attack which left 1.5 million people without power. More than 200,000 homes remain without stable power in the city of Kharkiv and one district in Kharkiv Oblast, Zelensky said.
Russian forces targeted over 130 energy infrastructure facilities on March 21-22 and critically damaged one of the stations of the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant, Ukraine's largest hydroelectric station.
Zelensky thanked all of Ukraine’s defense and security forces for their efforts to protect Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted on March 22 that Russia hopes to collapse Ukraine’s energy grid as the country struggles with air defense shortages.
Zelensky announced in his evening address that he recently spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to bolster Ukraine’s air defense systems.
At the same time, he noted that the EU approved a 5 billion euro ($5.4 billion) Ukraine Assistance Fund which will bolster the country’s defense. He also pointed to positive results in military support packages in the last week, including artillery, drones, and armored vehicles.
Russia launched another massive missile and drone attack on March 24, targeting critical infrastructure and leaving thousands without heating, local governors reported.
Russian forces fired 29 cruise missiles and 28 Shahed drones in a large-scale attack targeting eight regions in the west, center, north, and south of Ukraine, the Air Force said.
Ukraine intercepted 18 cruise missiles and 25 Shahed drones, according to the report.
Alexander Khrebet
