In a series of devastating missile attacks launched by Russia against Ukraine overnight, the country's energy infrastructure appears to have been the primary target. According to Ukraine's air force, a total of 34 missiles were launched, with 21 successfully intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.

Reports have emerged of significant damage to energy facilities, including those in Dnipropetrovsk in the south, as well as Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv in the west. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko revealed that an engineer had been injured in the attacks.

Private energy operator DTEK announced that four of its thermal power plants suffered damage in the attacks, leading to casualties, although specific details were not provided. This comes on the heels of a recent missile and drone attack by Russia on Ukraine's largest power plant, resulting in severe damage to multiple facilities.

Ukraine has reached out to its Western allies for assistance, specifically in acquiring additional air defense systems to defend against these continued attacks on energy facilities. In response, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that the United States will be supplying Ukraine with additional munitions and gear for its air defense launchers.

Meanwhile, the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, was hit by a missile attack overnight, causing damage to a psychiatric hospital and injuring one person. Disturbing images from the scene depict a massive crater on the hospital grounds and patients seeking refuge in corridors. A 53-year-old woman was reported to be the injured individual.

Additionally, an attack on the city of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region resulted in the death of a man, as reported by Ukraine's State Service for Emergency Situations.

On the Russia side, the Defense Ministry stated that Russian air defense systems successfully intercepted 66 drones over the southern Krasnodar region. Two additional drones were shot down over the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula. The governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, confirmed that Ukrainian forces had targeted an oil refinery and infrastructure facilities but noted that there were no casualties or significant damage. However, a fire broke out at the Slavyansk oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban during the attack, according to the regional department of the Emergency Situations Ministry.

While Ukrainian officials generally refrain from commenting on attacks within Russia, the Ukrainian Energy Ministry did acknowledge that two oil refineries in the Krasnodar region were hit by drones. Furthermore, in a separate incident, five individuals were wounded in a drone attack in a border village in Russia's Belgorod region, according to regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

The situation remains tense as both Ukraine and Russia continue to engage in hostile actions, with significant damage to energy infrastructure on both sides. The international community is closely monitoring the escalating conflict, calling for a swift resolution to de-escalate tensions and protect civilian lives.