Ukrainian Air Force Command reported Russia attacked the country early today with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 138 suicide and decoy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). "Ukrainian air defense units shot down 114 UAVs. The ballistic missiles and 24 UAVs hit 14 locations," the agency stated, without specifying the damage.
AMK Mapping, an X account tracking open-source intelligence on the Ukraine conflict, reported one of the two Iskander-M missile targets was the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters building in Kryvyi Rih city, Dnipropetrovsk province. The other target was in Bashtanka city, Mykolaiv province, where the strike caused a large fire.
The account noted about 15 Russian Geran-2 suicide UAVs attacked a 110 kV substation in the northern suburbs of Odessa city. A fire erupted after the strike, causing power outages in the surrounding area.
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The scene of the strike on a building believed to be the SBU headquarters in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk province. Photo: X/AMK Mapping |
DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power company, confirmed Russia attacked an energy facility in Odessa province, leaving 51,800 consumers without power. DTEK stated it is working to restore power supply as soon as possible, but did not disclose the location of the strike or related damage.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information.
The SBU is Ukraine's domestic intelligence agency, with key missions including counterintelligence and anti-corruption. After the conflict erupted, the agency expanded its roles beyond counterintelligence and security to include combat operations. Its primary combat unit is Alpha special forces, specializing in disrupting command centers, electronic warfare systems, and designating high-value targets for UAV attacks.
Russia and Ukraine have recently been regularly striking each other's energy infrastructure. Both sides accuse the other of attacking civilian facilities, while claiming to only target military objectives or those serving the other side's defense operations.
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Location of Kryvyi Rih and Odessa cities. Graphic: RYV |
These attacks occurred as the US advances efforts to end the conflict with a new peace plan it proposed. The initial draft includes 28 points, many of which align with Russia's past demands, such as Ukraine ceding some territory, accepting limits on military size, and ceasing its pursuit of NATO membership.
US, Ukrainian, and European officials met in Switzerland on 23/11/2024 to discuss an "updated" version of the plan, stating significant progress was made.
The Kremlin stated on 3/12/2024 that Russia is ready to negotiate with the US as many times as needed until a solution to the Ukraine conflict is found.
Nguyen Tien (According to Reuters, AFP, RIA Novosti)
