In a recent escalation of hostilities, Russia launched a significant missile attack on Kyiv and various regions across Ukraine, resulting in numerous casualties and significant damage to energy infrastructure. At least 18 people have been wounded, and the attack has caused partial power cuts in several Ukrainian regions.
This attack brings back memories of a similar Russian air campaign during the previous winter, which targeted critical infrastructure and caused extensive power outages for Ukrainian civilians.
Ukraine’s grid operator, Ukrenergo, reported damage to energy facilities in western and central regions as a result of the recent missile strike. The affected areas include Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions, where partial blackouts were reported.
According to Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Russia launched 43 cruise missiles at various targets overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepting and downing 36 of them. The missile strikes were executed in multiple waves, entering Ukrainian airspace from various directions, making them challenging to intercept.
As a result of these missile attacks, Kyiv and its surrounding regions experienced loud explosions during the early morning hours. Rescue teams were dispatched to multiple locations in the capital to assess the damage and provide assistance.
Kyiv’s Mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported seven injuries in the city, including a nine-year-old girl. Missile debris fell in the city center, causing damage to an infrastructure facility and several non-residential buildings, leading to a fire.
This recent escalation underscores the ongoing tensions and violence in the region, further complicating efforts to reach a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The situation remains fluid and continues to impact the lives of Ukrainian civilians as they grapple with the consequences of these attacks.
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues, reports indicate a series of missile attacks causing damage and casualties in various Ukrainian cities and regions.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that a hotel and several shopping kiosks were damaged in Cherkasy, located in central Ukraine. Seven people were reported injured in the attacks.
Emergency services shared a video on Telegram depicting rescuers carrying an injured man on a stretcher amid a blazing fire in Cherkasy.
The interior ministry and regional officials reported blasts in several other locations, including Kharkiv, Khmelnytskiy, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.
In Lviv, three Russian missiles struck the city of Drohobych in the west, approximately 60 km (37 miles) from the Polish border. Maksym Kozytskyi, Lviv’s regional governor, confirmed the strikes caused damage to an infrastructure facility and warehouses.
Separately, in the southern city of Kherson, two people were tragically killed by Russian shelling of a dormitory, according to governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
These attacks coincide with Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive against Russian forces in the eastern and southern regions. Ukrainian intelligence sources also reported that Ukraine’s SBU security service and navy carried out an airstrike on the Saky air base in Russian-occupied Crimea, causing significant damage.
Meanwhile, the Russian military claimed to have destroyed 19 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and the Black Sea, providing no further details on casualties or damage.
The situation remains highly volatile, with both sides engaged in military operations and increasing concerns about the impact on civilian populations and critical infrastructure.
