Intense Russian strikes on Sunday against Ukraine killed five people in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and Lviv in the west and badly damaged energy infrastructure, severing power supplies to tens of thousands.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as the weather chills.
"This Sunday night, Russia launched yet another barrage of missiles and drones against the people of Ukraine, targeting the Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Chernigiv, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kherson, Kharkiv and Odesa regions," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Lviv has been the area that the Russian military has targeted the most since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.
"In Lviv, four people were killed and four others injured. In Zaporizhzhia, one person was killed and 10 injured after Russia targeted residential areas with drones and aerial bombs. Across all affected areas, residential buildings and critical infrastructure were damaged."
Ivan Fedorov, the head of the Zaporizhzhia region, earlier said a 16-year-old girl was among those receiving "necessary assistance" from medical personnel after the attack.
There were widespread power outages in the city as energy equipment was damaged, the service provider said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the overnight attack saw over 50 missiles and about 500 attack drones fired at his country.
"The Russians once again targeted our infrastructure — everything that ensures normal life for our people. We need more protection and faster implementation of all defence agreements, especially on air defence, to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning," he said Sunday.
A nationwide air alert was in place across Ukraine as of 4:09 a.m. (01:09 GMT).
Poland’s armed forces meanwhile said on X that they had mobilized aircraft and put ground defenses on high alert to secure the country’s airspace, particularly near the Ukrainian border.
The mayor of Lviv, a western Ukrainian city near Poland, said public transport was not operating due to a “massive enemy attack.”
Public transport in Ivano-Frankivsk, another western city, would “start running later than usual” on Sunday, its mayor said.
Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Sunday that Russia’s overnight attack left “more than 73,000 consumers … without electricity” in Zaporizhzhia, while Lviv’s mayor said part of the city also had no power.
Earlier this week, Moscow launched its largest-ever strike on Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, while strikes on Saturday cut power to about 50,000 households in the northern Chernihiv region.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
