Russia launched one of its “largest air attacks” on Ukraine overnight and “peaceful cities, sleeping civilians” and “critical infrastructure” were targeted, the Ukrainian foreign minister has said.
Sunday 17 November 2024 11:26, UK
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Moscow’s targeting of Ukraine’s power grid “very much plays to the Russian playbook” during the winter months, says our correspondent Adele Robinson.
Russian forces have for the last two years of war targeted energy infrastructure and taken out power stations, she adds.
Ukrainians in the capital of Kyiv and beyond are concerned about more attacks as temperatures plummet below zero, Robinson says.
“This is bad timing. But again, it plays into what [Russia] have done in the past, and it points to what the fears are of what they will continue to do to try and shut down the power infrastructure,” she says.
“Ukraine has experienced multiple, rolling blackouts over the last couple of years when Russia has targeted their systems – and this particular target was widespread. It wasn’t just Kyiv.”
Following on from our previous post, the number of people killed in Russia’s “massive” overnight attack across Ukraine sits at seven, according to officials.
Two women were killed and six others injured, including two children, in the southern city of Mykolaiv.
In the central Dnipro region, two people died and three were wounded in a strike on a rail depot.
Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said two people were killed and a teenager injured in strikes on the southern region, while in Lviv, on the border with Poland, a woman in a car was killed.
Two people have been killed and a 17-year-old boy injured as a result of Russian attacks on Odesa in southern Ukraine, an official has said.
Regional governor Oleh Kiper sent his “sincere condolences” to the families of the dead in a post to Telegram.
He added that doctors were treating the teenager.
Earlier, Kiper said the region’s energy infrastructure had been damaged in Russia’s overnight strikes, with “interruptions in the supply of heat, water and electricity”.
Water supplies are being “gradually restored”, he said in a more recent update.
These pictures show the aftermath of the attacks in Odesa:
Ukrainian air defences destroyed 102 missiles and 42 drones launched by Russia in its overnight attacks, Ukraine’s military has said.
In a post to Telegram, the Ukrainian air force said Russian forces attacked energy facilities with air, land and sea-based missiles “of various types”, as well as drones.
Hypersonic missiles were among the 120 launched at Ukrainian territory, it said.
Air defences were active in “almost all” regions of Ukraine and downed 102 missiles and 42 drones, according to the air force.
It said 43 further drones were “lost” or flew away from Ukrainian territory.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 210 missiles and drones were launched by Russia.
These photographs show emergency services removing part of a Russian missile from an apartment building in Kyiv.
Vitali Klitschko, city mayor, said earlier that Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian capital caused a fire to erupt in the roof of a residential building.
He also reported that at least two people were injured.
Russian forces attacked energy resources supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex overnight, the defence ministry has said, according to Russian news agencies.
Ukraine’s military airfield infrastructure has also been hit, the ministry claimed.
The attack has come at a time when Ukrainians fear large attacks by Moscow intended to devastate Ukraine’s power generation capacity ahead of the cold winter.
By Stuart Ramsay, reporting from Kyiv
Shortly after four o’clock this morning I was woken by the particularly loud sound of three large explosions.
It’s always disconcerting because you’re not sure where a missile has struck or if it’s been intercepted.
It transpires that I was woken by Ukrainian air defence intercepting a hypersonic missile over Kyiv’s city centre, fired by Russia.
Around 7.15, I was woken again by two more large explosions as energy infrastructure some seven kilometres from our hotel was targeted.
When I saw Sky’s Ukraine producer, Azad Safarov, this morning, he told me he saw three bright streaks across the sky at the same time as I was woken in the early hours, as Kyiv’s air defence system sprang into action.
The early morning attacks were preceded by air raid sirens, sending people into metro stations and shelters for cover.
Ukrainian authorities have confirmed a “massive” attack by Russia with 120 missiles and 90 drones nationwide, mainly targeting energy infrastructure.
The mood in the capital is now back to an eerie sense of normal, as people go about their Sunday mornings.
These pictures, from the Ukrainian regions of Lviv and Mykolaiv, show the aftermath of some Russian attacks overnight.
As we report in the post below, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Moscow launched “about 120 missiles and 90 drones”.
It is said to be the biggest Russian attack on Ukraine since August.
The latest Russian attack on Ukraine was a “massive combined strike” on “all regions”, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The Ukrainian president added that Russian “terrorists” had used “about 120 missiles and 90 drones”.
The missiles – cruise, ballistic and aeroballistic – included “zirkons, Iskanders, and daggers”, he said.
Drones included Iranian-designed Shaheds.
Ukrainian air defences destroyed more than “140 air targets”, Mr Zelenskyy said.
He commented on Telegram: “The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, there is damage to objects from hits and falling debris.
“In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six others were injured, including two children.
“My condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased.
“As of now, areas are without power, [and] all the necessary forces are involved in the elimination of consequences and in restoration.”
The president said Ukraine’s air defences included anti-aircraft missile troops, “pilots of F-16s”, and “mobile fire groups”.
Equipment at thermal power stations has been “seriously damaged” during Russian air strikes, Ukraine’s largest private energy provider has said.
DTEK said its staff were working on repairs.
It did not specify what had been hit, in a statement on social media.
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