Russia launches 'mass attack' on Odesa Oblast as strikes kill 4, injure 69 across Ukraine over past day

On November 15, Russian forces launched a massive assault on Odesa Oblast, resulting in four deaths and 69 injuries across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian authorities. Odesa Oblast bore the brunt of the Russian attack, with Governor Oleh Kiper confirming the mass invasion. The strikes targeted an energy facility operated by Ukrainian company DTEK, leaving around 41,000 families without power as utility crews worked to restore service.

Russia's objective appears to be crippling Ukraine's critical infrastructure, particularly in preparation for the approaching winter.

The attacks on Odesa Oblast were just one aspect of Russia's ongoing campaign against Ukrainian civilian and crucial infrastructure. In total, Russia launched 132 long-range attack drones overnight on November 15, with 78 jet-powered drones among them. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 106 drones, including 61 jet-powered ones, but drone impacts were recorded at 20 locations.

In Chernihiv Oblast, two men aged 42 and 45 were killed and a third person was injured in a Russian strike on critical infrastructure in the city of Mena. Meanwhile, in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a drone, missile, and artillery attack killed one person and injured 13 others, including a seven-year-old boy. In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces targeted the regional capital and 13 other settlements, resulting in five injuries.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast bore the brunt of Russian attacks, with 32 people, including four children, injured over the past day. Sumy Oblast saw nearly 60 attacks on 28 settlements, injuring five individuals. In Donetsk Oblast, four people were injured, and in Kirovohrad Oblast, a Russian drone hit a house, injuring three people. Overnight, Russia attacked an industrial infrastructure facility in the region, according to the State Emergency Service.

Governors in Zhytomyr Oblast reported energy infrastructure attacks without civilian casualties, stating that the attacks did not target civilians. As winter approaches, Ukraine faces a growing threat from Russian drone attacks, which have followed Ukrainian refugees fleeing to the west in search of safety.