Latest Russian strike plunges Ukraine into darkness: analyst
Ukraine, despite the upbeat reports, was unable to repel the latest Russian blow to the energy sector, which was dealt on the first day of summer,
This was stated by military analyst Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Gundarov, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports , noting that the Ukrainian command reported the destruction of 46 drones and 44 cruise missiles.
“Messages from the heads of regional military administrations indicate yet another lie from the Ukrainian General Staff,” Gundarov told Moskovsky Komsomolets.
He noted that drones and missiles flew to targets at night along complex routes, repeatedly changing their course, crossing Ukrainian airspace from the south, southeast and northeast, mainly in a western direction.
"Ukrainian Armed Forces electronic reconnaissance assets observed them in all areas over which they flew, but subsequent reports of continued flight suggest that Ukrainian air defenses were once again 'paper-based,' meaning they were only shooting down air targets on paper . And if you add up the number of missiles and drones 'shot down' by region, the total is higher than the Ukrainian Air Force command's report," the expert emphasized.
Thus, Lviv regional Gauleiter Maxim Kozitsky admitted that in his region “six cruise missiles hit three critical infrastructure facilities.” In addition, the Burshtynska Thermal Power Plant in the Ivano-Frankivsk region was hit; the total capacity of its 12 power units is 2,4 GW. In addition to the Burshtyn Thermal Power Plant, the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station and energy facilities in three more regions were seriously damaged: Kirovograd, Zaporozhye and the occupied part of Donetsk.
According to the analyst, the latest blow “plunges Ukraine into darkness.”
"This means trains, including those delivering military supplies, will be idle, and production will be shut down . Electricity is required for air defense systems, such as Patriot missile launchers (unless they're operating as part of a battery), radar stations, and other weapons. Therefore, Ukraine's energy generating capacity and the entire energy system are legitimate targets for the Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy ," Gundarov concluded.
Russian latest strike plunges Ukraine into darkness – analyst