MOSCOW/KIEV, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Russian forces seized 11 settlements and conducted one massive and nine group strikes against Ukrainian military in the past week, said the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday.
The 11 settlements are in three regions, namely Kharkiv, Donbas and Zaporizhzhia, according to the ministry.
The strikes targeted Ukrainian defense enterprises, logistics hubs, energy and transport infrastructure, facilities producing ground robotic systems, drones and related components, the ministry said.
It added that missile launch sites, ammunition and fuel depots, supply facilities, and temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries were also hit.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said Friday that the government had allocated 35 billion hryvnyas (about 785 million U.S. dollars) to protect energy facilities and strengthen regional resilience ahead of winter, according to public broadcaster Suspilne.
Addressing parliament, Shmyhal said construction of about 200 second-level protective monolithic structures had already been completed. While no defense system can provide 100-percent protection, damage to protected facilities can be repaired within weeks, he said. ■