Russia has launched a series of missile and drone attacks targeting central and western Ukraine, causing significant damage to thermal and hydropower plants, according to reports from the country's largest power grid operator Ukrainergo, as relayed by the British news agency Reuters.

In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, Ukrainergo described the attacks as a "massive concerted attack on energy and power plants" that occurred overnight. The assaults have resulted in substantial damage to power facilities in the Kamianske district near the city of Dnipro, with at least one person reported injured. Additionally, power generation facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Cherkasy regions were targeted, as confirmed by Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

Galushchenko further stated in a Facebook post that the attacks involved both drones and missiles, posing a significant threat to critical energy infrastructure. Despite the assault, Ukraine's military reported successfully intercepting a substantial number of missiles and drones, with the air force destroying 26 out of 39 missiles and 58 out of 60 drones fired by Russian forces overnight.

However, Reuters noted that it could not independently verify the extent of the damage or the success of Ukraine's countermeasures. Ukrainian television reported sightings of Russian cruise missiles in the sky, accompanied by explosions in various regions, including Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky, and Dnipro.

Meanwhile, DTE, Ukraine's largest private power company, also confirmed attacks on three of its thermal power plants, further exacerbating concerns about the security and stability of the country's energy infrastructure amidst escalating tensions with Russia.