Seven killed in 'most massive' Russian air attack, Ukraine says

People sheltered in a metro station in Kyiv during the barrage. Reuters

Francesca Gillett & Will Vernon, August 27 — Russia has launched one of its biggest air attacks on Ukraine of the war so far, the head of the Ukrainian air force has said.

At least seven people were killed and dozens wounded as missiles and drones were fired into more than half of Ukraine's regions on Monday.

Power infrastructure was hit, causing widespread blackouts, as the entire country was put under air raid alert and told to take shelter.

Russia confirmed it had launched attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure - one of its long-term tactics - and said all its targets were hit.

The barrage of missile and drone attacks began across the country overnight on Monday and continued into the morning.

And much later in the day a civilian infrastructure building was struck by a Russian missile in the eastern city of Kryvyi Rih, leaving one woman dead and another five presumed missing, local military administration head Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram.

According to Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of Ukraine's air force, Russia launched 127 missiles and 109 attack drones overnight and into Monday morning. Out of them, Ukraine shot down 102 missiles and 99 drones, he said on Telegram.

Mr Oleshchuk called the combined strike "the most massive aerial attack”.

Nato member Poland said an "object" entered its territory during the attack.

"Most likely it was a drone and we assume so, because the trajectory of the flight and the speed indicate that it was definitely not a missile," said army spokesman Jacek Goryszewski, quoted by Reuters.

Nato spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah condemned the attacks on Ukraine and said that breaches of Nato airspace by Russia were "irresponsible and potentially dangerous", the agency said.

Previously, an attack last December when 158 missiles and drones were fired at Ukraine, had been considered the largest attack so far.

While the main target of this attack was energy infrastructure, it was also an attempt by Moscow to strike at Ukraine's reserves of another key resource: morale.

Ukrainians have been electrified by the recent successful incursion of their troops deep into Russian territory in the Kursk region.

With Monday's strikes, Russia was intending to bring ordinary people in Ukraine back down to earth with a bump - reminding them, and politicians in Western capitals, that the Kremlin still has the upper hand in this war.

The message from Moscow was make no mistake, Russia can still inflict misery on the Ukrainian population whenever it chooses.