Russia has launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine, described by officials as the largest for three months, targeting energy infrastructure and killing civilians.

The attack came as fears are mounting about Moscow’s intentions to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the cold winter.

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Russia had launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine.

Various types of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-made Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian defence forces shot down 140 air targets, Mr Zelensky said in a statement on Telegram.

“The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children,” Mr Zelensky said.

Two others were killed in the Odesa region, where the attack damaged energy infrastructure and disrupted power and water supplies, said local governor Oleh Kiper.

The combined drone and missile attack was the most powerful in three months, according to Serhii Popko, the head of Kyiv’s City Military Administration.

Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a blaze following a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine
Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a blaze following a Russian rocket attack in Ukraine (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s power infrastructure since Moscow’s all-out invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts.

Ukrainian officials have routinely urged western allies to bolster the country’s air defences to counter assaults and allow for repairs.

Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in the capital, Kyiv, the key southern port of Odesa, as well as the country’s west and central regions, according to local reports.

The operational command of Poland’s armed forces wrote on X that Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been mobilised in Polish airspace because of the “massive” Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine. The steps were aimed to provide safety in Poland’s border areas, it said.

Crews work to extinguish a fire following a Russian rocket attack in Lviv, Ukraine
Crews work to extinguish a fire following a Russian rocket attack in Lviv, Ukraine (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

One person was injured after the roof of a five-storey residential building caught fire in Kyiv’s historic centre, according to Mr Popko.

At least two people were killed and six were wounded, including two children, in the eastern city of Mykolaiv, according to local governor Vitalii Kim.

A thermal power plant operated by private energy company DTEK was “seriously damaged”, the company said in a statement on Telegram.