It was reported earlier on the clear escalation in Ukraine’s cross-border strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, during which time Moscow has in turn ramped up its own major airstrikes on Ukraine’s facilities.
The Russian Defence Ministry (MoD) in a press briefing detailed its retaliatory attacks which it described as a direct response to the shelling of Russian territory. The MoD confirmed that it has hit “energy and military industry facilities, railway junctions and arsenals.”
Significantly, the country’s largest hydroelectric plant at Dnieper has been shut down after what appears to be a major missile strike impacting its vital operations. Various regions impacted have been left without power, and there are widespread reports of new internet outages in Ukraine.
Russia’s military touted that “all the goals of the massive strike have been achieved,” which reportedly included hits on “foreign military equipment and ordnance delivered by NATO countries,” which were destroyed, according to state-run TASS.
Unconfirmed footage is widely circulating which shows a Russian cruise missile slam into the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Plant:
#WATCH: The moment when a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile hit the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station this morning.The missile can be seen releasing flares/decoys seconds before impact. https://t.co/mgj7QzxtxL pic.twitter.com/UdFRbH4OYB
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) March 22, 2024