Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian forces launched, on Monday-Tuesday night, unprecedented attacks with drones on Ukrainian cities, causing a power outage in a large part of the west of the country and causing damage to residential buildings in the Kiev region. The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched a number of attacks using Shahed drones (Iranian-made) and other unidentified drones, targeting vital installations. The same source added that the number of aircraft used reached 188 drones.

The Russian Ministry of Defense pledged to prepare further operations in response to the recent attacks carried out by Ukraine on its territory using Atakum missiles supplied by the United States. The ministry said on the Telegram application: Retaliatory measures are being prepared.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-Ukraine Council held an ambassadorial-level meeting in Brussels yesterday to discuss the escalation on the front and the launch of a Russian hypersonic ballistic missile into Ukraine, which caused increasing tension between NATO members and Moscow. The G7 foreign ministers also held a meeting in which they discussed the escalation, and they said in a joint statement yesterday that Russia’s launch of a hypersonic missile at Ukraine last week is evidence of its reckless and escalatory behavior. Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to strike countries that supply the Ukrainians with missiles capable of striking the Russian interior, considering that the war in Ukraine has taken on a global character.