Russia launched a series of missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure overnight on Thursday and Friday, raising concerns that the U.S. decision to withhold intelligence assistance could leave Ukraine more vulnerable to assaults. Ukraine’s energy minister, German Galushenko, stated that Russian forces conducted a “massive missile and drone” assault on power and gas facilities across the country. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia sent 261 attack vehicles, including 67 missiles of various types and 194 drones, some of which were equipped with decoy warheads to overwhelm air defense crews. While Ukraine managed to shoot down or disable most of the attack drones, they only destroyed 35 out of the 67 missiles. French Mirage-2000 fighter jets, which arrived in Ukraine a month ago, joined F-16s in the skies for the first time, contributing to the defense efforts. The bombardment follows the U.S. decision to suspend intelligence sharing with Kyiv, which officials and analysts warn could compromise Ukraine’s ability to detect and defend against Russian attacks. The U.S. intelligence provides crucial information for Ukraine’s early warning system, enabling civilians to seek shelter and air defense teams to intercept incoming missiles and drones. This vulnerability could be exploited by Russia to intensify drone and missile strikes, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The percentage of missiles destroyed by Ukraine in large-scale bombardments has varied throughout the war, often depending on the pace of air defense system deliveries from Western allies. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the impact of the intelligence sharing suspension in defending against the recent bombardment. Russia has been relentlessly targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure for three years, aiming to disrupt services and demoralize the public. The attacks also aim to cripple Ukraine’s industrial capacity, hindering its efforts to increase domestic arms production. With the U.S. withholding military support, Ukrainian arms makers now supply about 40% of the equipment used by soldiers on the front. Major General Vadim Skibitskyi, the deputy chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, stated that one of the priorities for the Russians will be targeting Ukraine’s defense industry enterprises. The Trump administration’s pressure on Kyiv, along with its alignment with the Kremlin, has been criticized by Ukrainians and Western analysts, who warn that this policy will not lead to peace but rather embolden the Kremlin. Theारent the Trump administration’s policies undermining the leverage needed to secure a peace agreement in the interests of the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe. Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials are planning to meet next week in Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible path to end the war. The latest Russian bombardment targeted the port city of Odessa for the fourth consecutive night, and the city of Kharkiv, located near the Russian border, experienced strikes that appeared aimed at critical infrastructure. Rescue efforts were underway in Kharkiv to put out flames and search for casualties. At least eight people were injured in the strikes. Nataliia Novosolova contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/europe/ukraine-russia-attack.html