At least six people have died after Russia launched hundreds of missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure and residential targets in Ukraine overnight.
A strike on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro killed two people and wounded 12, while three died in Zaporizhzhia.
In all, 25 locations across Ukraine, including the capital city Kyiv, were hit, leaving many areas without electricity and heating. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that major energy facilities were damaged in Poltava, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions, and work was under way to restore power.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia had launched more than 450 exploding bomber drones and 45 missiles, with nine missiles and 406 drones reportedly shot down.
In response, Svyrydenko indicated that critical infrastructure facilities had been reconnected and that water supply was being maintained through generators.
Russia asserts that its attacks on energy targets are aimed at the Ukrainian military. However, Ukrainian officials express deep concern over the strategic intent behind these strikes, suggesting they are intended to demoralize the population and cripple the economy by disrupting energy supplies.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need for 'no exceptions' to sanctions on Russian energy and urged the international community for comprehensive retaliation against these aggressive actions, linking the lifting of sanctions on Russia to the potential for further military escalation.
