Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company Naftogaz reported one of its key facilities in the northeastern Kharkiv region had been hit.
“This is a deliberate tactic of terror. This is how Russian forces are attempting to inflict maximum damage not only on infrastructure, but also on the people who are rescuing, repairing, and rebuilding,” said Sergii Koretskyi, CEO of Naftogaz Group.
Ukraine’s Air Force described the overnight assault as a “massive air attack,” saying Russia launched 729 aerial targets, including ballistic missiles and Shahed-type drones.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes were retaliation for what it described as “terrorist acts” carried out by Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had vowed to seek retaliation after accusing Kyiv of carrying out an attack on a student dormitory in a Russia-controlled part of eastern Ukraine on May 22.
Ukraine’s military said it had struck an elite drone command unit in the area. Andrii Melnyk, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, denied the allegation related to the dormitory last week, calling it a “fake story” and a Russian “propaganda narrative” during a U.N. Security Council meeting.
