Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia launched another large-scale attack against Ukrainian cities in the early hours of March 29.
The attacks targeted nearly every region of Ukraine, including the far-western Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts. Multiple explosions were heard in Dnipro, the regional capital of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Attacks on Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight damaged critical infrastructure and left one man hospitalized, according to Governor Serhii Lysak.
Several energy facilities were damaged in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and a housing cooperative was destroyed in the city of Kamianske, injuring five people, including a five-year-old girl, two women, and two men, according to the governor. One of the men was hospitalized and is in a serious condition.
DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, said that three of its power plants were struck and seriously damaged in the overnight attacks, and one DTEK worker was injured. DTEK did not disclose where the impacted power plants were located, and it is unclear if they were the same energy facilities reported as being damaged in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The injured DTEK worker received medical treatment and did not need to be hospitalized.
In total, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that energy facilities in at least six oblasts across Ukraine were damaged.
Russian forces launched waves of drones and missiles overnight, including Tu-95 bombers from the Russian city of Murmansk, MiG-31K aircraft from Savasleyka air base in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, and ballistic missiles from occupied Crimea, the Air Force reported.
At least 10 drones were shot down over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as well as four missiles over the city of Dnipro, Governor Lysak reported.
Explosions were also reported in Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi.
Poland announced it had scrambled military jets in order to defend Polish airspace during the attack.
Russia has recently intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in a renewed assault against the country's energy grid. The March 22 mass attack damaged the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant, Ukraine's largest hydroelectric station.
A recent major attack on March 24 saw 29 cruise missiles and 28 Shahed-type drones attack targeting eight regions in the west, center, north, and south of Ukraine. The attacks damaged critical infrastructure and left at least 76,000 people without heating.
Reductions in Ukraine's air defense capacity have limited the number of Russian missiles and drones the military can shoot down during attacks.
Martin Fornusek
