Russia unleashes its “most intense period of missile attacks since the Ukraine war began”

Russia overnight unleashed its most intense period of missile attacks since the invasion of Ukraine began, an official said, amid warnings that Putin is preparing 1,800 tanks and 400 fighter jets for a new invasion in the coming days.

Moscow forces attacked critical infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and launched multiple attacks against energy infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, as the Kremlin intensified its attacks in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Air sirens blared across the country during the morning rush hour and local officials urged civilians to take cover, warning of possible new attacks. One said that there were enemy planes in the air and warships in the Black Sea.

Zaporizhzhia city council secretary Anatolii Kurtiev said the city had been attacked 17 times in one hour, which he said made it the most intense period of attacks since the start of the large-scale invasion in February 2022.

In Kharkiv, authorities were still trying to establish information about the casualties and the scale of the destruction, and Mayor Ihor Terekhov said there could be disruptions to heating, water and electricity supplies.

Enemy aviation is in the air and ships that can carry Kaliber missiles are at sea. The enemy launched the missiles. The air alert will be long,” said Maksym Marchenko, regional governor of the southern Odessa region.

“Please don’t ignore the air warning sirens and go to shelters.”

Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said: ‘There is a huge threat of missile attack. I want to emphasize again: do not ignore air warning sirens.

Air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian television that Ukrainian air defenses had shot down five of the seven drones and five of the six Kaliber missiles launched at Ukraine. The air force also said 35 S-300 missiles were launched in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhizhia regions.

Ukraine’s air defenses cannot shoot down these types of missiles.

Authorities also said they ordered emergency power cuts across the country following the attacks on infrastructure.

Fighting on the ground in Ukraine also intensified on Thursday.

Kyiv’s military intelligence agency said Russian forces launched an offensive in the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions, aiming to seize full control of the entire Donbas region.

In recent months, Russia has massed hundreds of thousands of troops in the east, using brute force tactics and human waves to eat away at Ukraine’s defenses.

Wagner’s mercenary group has played a major role in the fighting, claiming to have captured the town of Soledar, among others, in an attempt to seize the key town of Bhakmut. The fight for the city has been described as a “meat grinder”.

Progress has been slow, but in an update on Friday morning, the UK’s military defense said Wagner had made progress in two key sectors in the region since February 7.

‘On the northern outskirts of the Donbas town of Bakhmut, Wagner Group forces have advanced 2-3 km further west, holding the countryside near the main M-03 route to the town. Russian forces increasingly dominate the northern approaches to Bakhmut,” the Defense Ministry update said.

“To the south, Russian units have advanced around the western edge of the town of Vuhledar, where they relaunched offensive operations in late January 2023.”

He added that it was “likely” that the Russian units would suffer “heavy casualties” in the assault around Vuhledar. “Inexperienced units have been compromised,” he added.

“Russian troops likely fled, abandoning at least 30 mostly intact armored vehicles in a single incident after a failed assault.”

Ukraine and its Western allies have been warning of a new Russian offensive on the eve of the first anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s launch of a so-called “special military operation” on February 24 last year.

Giving an update on the situation in his region, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said fires had broken out and some parts of the city were left without power.

‘At 4 am, the enemy launched rocket attacks on the city of Kharkiv and the region with S-300 missiles. Critical and infrastructure facilities were attacked. Fires broke out, which rescuers managed to put out quickly, ”he wrote on Telegram.

‘However, some areas of the city are still without electricity. Specialists work to eliminate the consequences of the impact. Fortunately, there were no victims.

Vitalii Kim, the governor of the Mykolaiv region, warned at around 9 a.m. local time that about 20 rockets were expected to hit his region.

Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, shared a screenshot on Twitter of an airstrike warning website in Ukraine. Almost all regions were marked in red. “Air strike alert all over Ukraine”, he wrote.

‘Threats of a massive Russian rocket attack. Everyone in Ukraine was advised to stay in shelters.’

The attacks followed warnings from a Ukrainian military official, who estimated that Russia already has 1,800 tanks, 3,950 armored vehicles, 810 Soviet-era multiple launch rocket systems and 400 fighter jets ready for “a new wave of attacks.” .

The official, speaking to Foreign Policy, also estimated that Russia has 300 helicopters and 2,700 artillery systems ready.

“We expect in the next 10 days a huge new invasion,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Amid the recent surge in fighting, several military analysts believe the Russian offensive is already underway and anticipate it will escalate as the one-year anniversary of the invasion approaches on February 24.

Ukrainian officials estimate that Russian forces inside Ukraine have now exceeded 300,000 following a mobilization effort that began in September.

Military analysts argue that the number may be slightly lower, but it would still be higher than the number that invaded Ukraine in February of last year.

In the days leading up to February 24, Western officials estimated that Russia had stationed around 150,000 troops near the Ukrainian border.

This time they would have a large concentration in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, it was revealed on Friday morning that the presidents of Poland and Ukraine had met in Rzeszow, in southeastern Poland, and discussed the war.

‘The President of Ukraine reported on his recent diplomatic activity in Brussels and other European capitals; the talks also focused on security in the region,’ he said.

The presidents discussed the current situation at the front and the need for more joint military support actions, the office said.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s foreign visit is the latest in a series in which he addressed ministers in Britain and European officials in Brussels.

Military analysts say the Russian president expects Europe’s support for Ukraine in the war to wane as Kyiv continues to request Western firepower in the form of heavy battle tanks and fighter jets.

Dozens of tanks have been promised to help the country in its fight against the invaders, including Germany’s Leopard 2, the UK’s Challenger 2 and the US-made Abrams. Until now, countries have been reluctant to pledge fighter jets.