Ukraine's energy infrastructure under massive Russian missile attacks

Explosions were heard all over Ukraine on Friday morning as Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on its energy infrastructure, reported Xinhua, quoting Ukrainian media.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram that preliminary reports showed 93 missiles and almost 200 drones were launched against Ukraine in "one of the largest strikes on our energy sector."

Explosions sounded in the northern Kiev region, the southern Odesa region, the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, reported the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Ukraine's state-run energy company Ukrenergo announced plans to toughen power supply restrictions in the wake of the attack.

Russia's defense ministry said the massive strike, which involved high-precision long-range air- and sea-based weapons and drones, was in response to Ukraine's attack on its territory with U.S.-made missiles.

Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry said Ukrainian forces used six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles to attack the Taganrog military airfield in Russia's Rostov region. Moscow had vowed to respond with "appropriate measures."

In a major shift of policy on the Ukraine crisis, the United States in November authorized Ukraine to use U.S. long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia, triggering an escalation of tension around the conflict.