OREANDA-NEWS  Ukraine’s military has suffered a serious degradation of capabilities due to the recent strikes by Moscow’s forces, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Tuesday.

“Transportation of manpower and material towards the frontlines via railroads has been hampered to a large degree. Production at Ukrainian military industrial facilities has also been disrupted,” the statement said, describing the results of the long-range missile barrage launched on Monday.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported that precision strikes were continuing on key targets, which was affecting Ukraine’s military potential. Speaking during a working meeting on Tuesday, the minister also said that over the last two weeks Russian forces had destroyed 74 tanks, 235 other armored vehicles, two HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and 268 armed cars.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported detecting 50 missiles launched on Monday from Russian aircraft and claimed have to have intercepted 44 of them. Prime Minister Denis Shmigal said Russia had hit 18 targets, mostly related to the energy sector, in ten regions of the country. Ukraine’s railroad monopoly confirmed that some of its lines had suffered from a blackout and that it had to roll out backup diesel locomotives in response.

Russia shifted its military tactics in Ukraine last month and began launching attacks against energy infrastructure. President Vladimir Putin described the move as a response to the Ukrainian sabotage attacks against Russian energy facilities, including a nuclear power plant and a gas pipeline going to Türkiye.

The decision was announced days after a truck bomb hit the strategic Crimean Bridge, killing three civilians and damaging the structure. Russian investigators pinned the attack on the Ukrainian military intelligence service.

Attacks on sites such as power plants and distribution substations have caused blackouts in many parts of Ukraine, including the capital of Kiev. Ukraine has introduced electricity rationing and rolling blackouts to limit the load.