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Russia Targets Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure With 400 Drones—Zelenskyy Calls for More Air Defenses
Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine overnight using 400 drones of various types and a single Iskander-M ballistic missile, hitting Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, and Vinnytsia.
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 343 drones were either shot down or suppressed, but others struck key locations in Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, and Vinnytsia, injuring at least 15 people, including a 17-year-old boy.
“Russia is not changing its strategy,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement. “To counter this terror effectively, we need to systematically strengthen our defenses: more air defense systems, more interceptors, and more determination — so that Russia feels our response.”
Response efforts are still underway after last night’s Russian shelling. The Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa regions came under the heaviest attack.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 16, 2025
In particular, energy infrastructure was targeted — work is currently ongoing to restore everything in Kryvyi Rih as fully… pic.twitter.com/xwfuhD65hU
Targeted cities, damaged infrastructure
The attack was repelled by a multi-layered response involving Ukrainian aviation, air defense missile units, drone operators, electronic warfare (EW) teams, and mobile fire groups. Of the 400 drones, 198 were confirmed shot down, while 145 drone decoys were neutralized or lost due to EW interference, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
However, one missile and 57 drones hit 12 locations. In two other locations, debris from intercepted drones caused additional damage.
In Kryvyi Rih, Russian drones and a ballistic missile destroyed an industrial facility, leaving a 17-year-old boy with severe abdominal injuries.
In Vinnytsia, drone strikes hit civilian industrial infrastructure and residential buildings in the surrounding region. Eight people were reported injured, and authorities noted a sharp deterioration in air quality following the strike.
Kharkiv also suffered hits on a civilian enterprise in the city’s Kyivskyi district, where three civilians were wounded, according to local officials.
Zelenskyy’s reaction to the massive Russian strike
President Zelenskyy lauded the Ukrainian military’s efforts to repel the assault, crediting the Air Force, Naval Aviation, missile defense crews, drone units, and electronic warfare teams for shooting down or disrupting more than 340 drones.
“I thank everyone who is eliminating the consequences of the strike, restoring power, and working for the sake of our people,” he said.
Despite the widespread damage, Ukraine’s energy system remains stable, the Ministry of Energy confirmed. No rolling blackouts are planned. Repair crews are working around the clock to restore power to impacted areas like Kryvyi Rih.
Earlier, Zelenskyy outlined a week of relentless Russian aerial terror against Ukraine, noting the deployment of more than 1,800 attack drones, over 1,200 guided aerial bombs, and 83 missiles of various types.
Despite Moscow’s bid to “intimidate our people” through sustained strikes on cities and communities, Zelenskyy praised Ukraine’s air defense forces for their “good results” in intercepting hundreds of Russian-Iranian “Shahed” drones over the past seven days.
