Russia has used more than 450 drones and 30 missiles in an overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy sector, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The president said there were power outages in nine regions and reiterated the need for more air defence support from allies.
Parts of Kyiv lost power during the attack, with several floors of a block of flats in the Pecherskyi district catching fire after being hit by a drone.
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Pic: Reuters
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The balcony and bedroom of a Kyiv flat that was hit and caught fire. Reuters
Fragments from shot-down drones landed in a number of areas of the capital and mayor Vitali Klitschko said eight people had been taken to hospital.
The mayor said there were power cuts and disruptions to the water supply in districts on the east of Kyiv’s Dnipro River.
Russia has recently launched several large attacks on Ukraine‘s infrastructure as temperatures dip ahead of winter. A missile and drone attack last week caused serious damage to key gas production facilities.
Around 28,000 families were still without electricity in Kyiv region on Friday morning, according to Governor Mykola Kalashnyk.
He said critical infrastructure relied on generators for power.
A seven-year-old boy was also killed and four were injured in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, where 12 apartment blocks were damaged.
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The latest situation on the ground in Ukraine
Energy minister Svitlana Grynchuk confirmed that energy sites had been targeted.
“As soon as safety conditions allow, energy experts will begin clarifying the consequences of the attack and conducting restoration work,” she said.
Russia’s now-familiar tactic is to launch hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles simultaneously to try to overwhelm air defences.
At least five people were killed – with tens of thousands also losing power – in another attack on Monday.
The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than three and half years after Russia invaded the country.
It now holds a significant slice of the east of the country – with small gains still occurring – but its vision of overrunning the country in a short timeframe never materialised.
Russia is also in charge of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
President Zelenskyy continues to call for more air defence equipment, such as the advanced Patriot system, from allies to better counter the deluge of drones and missiles – as well as urging tighter sanctions to try to pressure Vladimir Putin to negotiate.