Kyiv, 13 Dec

Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones, the latest such strike aimed at crippling the country's electricity system.

The Russian military targeted the Ukrainian power grid, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on his Facebook page. “The enemy continues its terror,” he said.

Halushchenko said energy workers do everything necessary to “minimize negative consequences for the energy system,” promising to release more details on damages once the security situation allows it.

Ukraine's air force reported multiple strike drones launched at Ukraine overnight followed by swarms of cruise missiles in the country's air space. It said Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine's western regions.

Friday's attack is the latest in a series of such raids that has heightened fears that the Kremlin aims to destroy the country's power generation capacity as the winter sets in.

Since launching its invasion in February 2022, Russia has relentlessly pummelled Ukraine's electricity system, resulting in repeated shutdowns of critical heating and drinking water supplies during the bitter winter months in an apparent attempt to break Ukrainian spirits and resolve.

Moscow has declared that the attacks are aimed at hobbling Ukraine's defence industry, thwarting the production of missiles, drones, armoured vehicles and artillery, among other weapons.

A similar massive attack on 28 November involved about 200 missiles and drones and left more than a million households without power until emergency teams restored supplies. Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is stockpiling cruise and ballistic missiles for more attacks.

On 21 November, Russia for the first time used an intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile to strike an industrial plant in the city of Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack with the Oreshnik missile as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with longer-range Western weapons. He declared that more attacks with the new weapon could follow.

The Pentagon warned Wednesday that Russia could use its new missile against Ukraine again soon. Around half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the almost three years of war with Russia, and rolling electricity blackouts are widespread.

Kyiv's Western allies have provided Ukraine with air defence systems to help it protect critical infrastructure, but Russia has sought to overwhelm the air defences with combined strikes involving big numbers of missiles and drones.

Russia has held the initiative this year as its military has steadily rammed through Ukrainian defences in the east in a series of slow but steady offensives.