Kyiv, May 8 (EFE).- Russia launched 55 missiles and 21 drones against Ukraine, targeting critical infrastructure, including energy systems, across the country, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Wednesday.

Russia used “76 means of air attack: 55 missiles and 21 attack drones,” the Air Force said in a statement on Telegram.

A total of 59 missile and drones were destroyed by the Ukrainian air defense, it added.

Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko called the strikes “a massive attack” on the country’s energy infrastructure.

Power generation and transmission units in Poltava, Kirovograds Аkij, Zaporizhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivskíj, and Vinnytsia regions were targeted, the minister said.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private-sector power company, said three of its power plants were damaged by the Russian attack.

“Another extremely difficult night for the Ukrainian energy industry. The enemy fired at three of our TPPs (thermal power plants),” the company said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the new wave of Russian attacks and pointed out that it coincided with the Victory Day over Nazism in World War II.

Ukraine began celebrating this day, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, on May 8, along with the European Union last year.

Until then, Kyiv had celebrated it on May 9, as does Russia.

“The whole world should clearly understand who is who. The world has no right to give Nazism another chance,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia has been carrying out a new barrage of attacks against the Ukrainian power sector since March.

Russian attacks in recent weeks have damaged half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and destroyed much of the country’s thermal electricity generation capacity. EFE

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