(Reuters) – More than a dozen Russian missiles pounded energy facilities and other infrastructure across Ukraine on Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said, with strikes causing blackouts in parts of different regions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the Russian attacks had struck on a “very wide” scale. He pledged that his military would improve on an already good record of downing missiles with help from its partners.
At the same time, Russian occupation authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson urged civilians to leave immediately, citing what they called a tense military situation.
The Ukrainian military said it was making gains as its forces moved southward through Kherson region, taking over at least two villages it said Russian troops had abandoned.
Since Oct. 10, Russia has launched devastating salvos at Ukraine’s power infrastructure, which have hit at least half of its thermal power generation and up to 40% of the entire system.
Shortly after daybreak, officials in a swath of regions reported strikes on energy facilities and power outages as engineers scrambled to restore the network. Governors advised residents to stock up on water.
Parts of Kyiv suffered power cuts into the evening. In one central district, shops were closed and traffic lights were off.
“The geography of this latest mass strike is very wide,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, citing regions in western, central and southern Ukraine. “Of course we don’t have the technical ability to knock down 100 percent of the Russian missiles and strike drones. I am sure that, gradually, we will achieve that, with help from our partners. Already now, we are downing a majority of cruise missiles, a majority of drones.”
Ukrainian forces had downed 20 missiles and more than 10 Iranian-made Shahed drones on Saturday, he said.
The air force command earlier had said 33 missiles had been fired at Ukraine. Eighteen were shot down.
