By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – In a move that worries neighboring countries, Russia launched a massive air strike against western Ukraine on Friday in what Kyiv called “one of the largest attacks” on its power infrastructure since the war erupted in February 2022.
Moscow’s military fired almost 200 drones and more than 90 missiles, including at least one made by North Korea, 81 of which were intercepted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.
The strikes forced Ukraine to reduce output at five of its nine nuclear reactors, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
According to Ukraine’s air force, hypersonic Kinzhal missiles were used in the attacks on the western regions of Ternopil, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia.
The targets included thermal power plants of private energy group DTEK, with some equipment “significantly damaged,” the company said.
A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on condition of anonymity that four of the company’s thermal plants were damaged, and their condition is extremely fragile.
Worthy News monitored the attacks, which prompted nearby Poland to scramble fighter jets. Earlier, Hungary increased defense systems along its borders with Ukraine. Poland and Hungary are both members of the NATO military alliance.
LATEST STRIKES
Ahead of the latest Russian strikes, Hungary’s Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that “the Russian-Ukrainian war has entered its most dangerous phase yet.”
However, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that the strikes were in response to Kyiv using six US-made
ATACMS long-range missiles will hit a military airfield in Russia’s Rostov region on Wednesday.
Critics countered that Moscow’s forces have been attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the autumn of 2022, well before Ukraine received long-range missiles from the U.S.
The latest assault came as temperatures plunged across Ukraine, with -1O Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) expected in Kyiv, the capital.
“Hypersonic Kinzhal missiles were used” in strikes that focused on the western regions of Ternopil, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zakarpattia, according to Ukraine’s air force.
“The targets included thermal power plants of private energy group DTEK, with some equipment significantly damaged,” the company said. “Four of the firm’s company’s thermal plants were damaged, and their condition is extremely fragile,” added an official on conditions of anonymity.
Hungary, which currently holds the rotating European Union presidency, still hopes to help reach a Christmas truce in Ukraine, officials said. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk seeks to relaunch peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv as his nation will take over the EU presidency.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Senior European intelligence officials see little chance of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine this year, despite President Donald J. Trump’s claim that U.S.-brokered negotiations have brought a peace deal “reasonably close.”
British police raided two properties linked to former Prince Andrew on Thursday and detained the 66-year-old royal on suspicion of misconduct in public office, escalating scrutiny over his past association with the late U.S. financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Christians in Pakistan’s Punjab province were searching Thursday for an abducted minor girl, days after the provincial governor signed legislation raising the legal marriage age to 18 and criminalizing child marriage as a non-bailable offense.
The U.S. trade deficit edged slightly lower in 2025 but remained the third-largest on record, underscoring the scale of America’s global trade imbalance even amid sweeping tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
The United Kingdom will not allow the Pentagon to use British-controlled bases to launch potential military strikes against Iran, according to a report by The Times of London.
President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled what he called a historic new diplomatic framework — the “Board of Peace” — during an inaugural meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, announcing billions in pledges for Gaza reconstruction and signaling that a major decision on Iran could come within days.
President Donald Trump is weighing an initial, limited military strike on Iran aimed at forcing Tehran to meet U.S. demands for a comprehensive nuclear agreement, the Wall Street Journal reported.