At least four people were killed and dozens more injured as Russia launched overnight missile strikes on several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Lviv, and Kryviy Rih, damaging critical infrastructure and leaving parts of the country without power and water, according to Ukrainian officials.
At least four people were killed and 19 others injured in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, following a Russian overnight strike, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said early on January 9.
“Among the dead is one medic. Four medical workers were injured. Critical infrastructure has been damaged. Some areas of the city are experiencing power and water outages,” Klitschko wrote on Telegram.
He said that drone debris caused fires and damage to high-rise residential buildings in Kyiv, leaving them with damaged roofs, facades, and shattered windows.
Separately, Russian forces struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv late on January 8 with a ballistic missile traveling at approximately 13,000 kilometers per hour, according to the statement by Ukraine’s Air Forces.
“The type of missile used by Russian aggressors to attack the city will be determined after examining all its components,” the statement said.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadoviy stated that after the air-raid siren was issued in the city, a series of explosions were heard.
He said the attack hit a critical infrastructure site and emergency services were working at the scene, with firefighting operations ongoing.
Sadoviy noted that it is not yet known whether the missile was a nuclear-capable Oreshnik type, adding that the military would provide further details.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement confirming it used ” long-range high-precision land- and sea-based weapons,” including the Oreshnik missile, against Ukraine in response to an alleged attack on the Russian president’s residence.
In Kryviy Rih, according to preliminary information, 14 people were injured, including two children, in a missile strike on the city, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service.
Almost a dozen apartment buildings and infrastructure facilities were damaged. The strike on the city cut off power to several areas, including mines where people were working at the time.
According to the emergency service, seven miners who were trapped underground were evacuated from the mine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly address warned of another “massive” Russian attack.
“The Russians haven’t changed one bit. They are trying to exploit the harsh winter weather, which has worsened significantly across many of our regions and is causing serious problems on the roads and with utilities.”
Ukraine’s Air Force put the entire country on missile alert early on January 9 after confirming that a Russian bomber was airborne.
Meanwhile, the governor of the Russian border region of Belgorod said that more than half a million people were left without power or heating after Ukraine attacked the region’s utility infrastructure.
Vyacheslav Gladkov added that nearly 200,000 people were also cut off from water supplies.