Russia carried out its largest attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the spring, primarily striking Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said.
At least five people were killed in the overnight attacks, including a child in the Kyiv region, according to Koretskyi and regional authorities. The strikes affected 11 regions and also hit residential buildings, social infrastructure, civilian businesses and railways, he said.
Kyiv residents woke to heavy acrid smoke following a night of explosions. Air raid alerts remained in force on Wednesday morning, while air-defence fire could still be heard. Authorities advised people in several districts to keep windows closed until conditions improved.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said three people died in the capital, including a utility company employee killed at a warehouse building. Kyiv regional governor Timur Tkachenko said a child’s body was recovered from the rubble of a house. Acting Mykolaiv regional governor Heorhiy Reshetilov reported one death in his region.
In the north-eastern Sumy region, governor Oleh Hryhorov said two people were killed in a separate Russian strike on Tuesday, which also damaged a school.
Power disruptions reported
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, said it had restored electricity to 8,000 homes after what it described as a difficult night for Kyiv. Ukraine’s energy ministry said some households in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy and Kharkiv regions were still without power on Wednesday.
The state grid operator urged residents to avoid using high-power electrical appliances between 10:00 and 16:00 local time because supplies were below usual levels.
Russia’s defence ministry said the Trypilska power station, described as Kyiv’s largest electricity supplier, was among its targets. Ukrainian officials had not confirmed that claim.
Koretskyi said Ukraine’s energy facilities had faced attacks almost daily since the summer, but that an assault of this scale had not occurred since the end of the previous heating season. President Volodymyr Zelensky said critical infrastructure was struck in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Rivne regions.
Source: BBC News
