KYIV, (Reuters) – Russia fired more than 70 missiles at Ukraine yesterday in one of its biggest attacks since the start of the war, knocking out power in the second-biggest city and forcing Kyiv to implement emergency blackouts nationwide, Ukrainian officials said.
Three people were killed when an apartment block was hit in central Kryvyi Rih and another died in shelling in Kherson in the south, they said. Russian-installed officials in occupied eastern Ukraine said 12 people had died by Ukrainian shelling.
In an evening video address,Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia still had enough missiles for several more massive strikes and he again urged western allies to supply Kyiv with more and better air defence systems.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine was strong enough to bounce back. “Whatever the rocket worshippers from Moscow are counting on, it still won’t change the balance of power in this war,” he said.
Kyiv warned on Thursday that Moscow planned a new all-out offensive early next year, around a year after its Feb. 24 invasion, in which wide areas of Ukraine have been shattered by missiles and artillery but little of it taken by Russian forces.
Russia has rained missiles on Ukrainian energy infrastructure almost weekly since early October after several battlefield defeats, but Friday’s attack seemed to inflict more damage than many others, with snow and ice now widespread.
After some repairs, Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo lifted a state of emergency that forced it to impose blackouts. But Ukrenergo also warned that more time would be needed to repair equipment and restore electricity than in previous bombardments.
Russia flew warplanes near Ukraine to try to distract its air defences, Ukraine’s air force said. Its army chief said 60 of 76 Russian missiles had been shot down but Energy Minister German Galushchenko said at least nine power-generating facilities had been hit.
Moscow says the attacks are aimed at disabling Ukraine’s military. Ukrainians call them a war crime.
“They want to destroy us, and make us slaves. But we will not surrender. We will endure,” said Lidiya Vasilieva, 53, as she headed for shelter at a railway station in the capital Kyiv.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said late yesterday that just a third of its residents had both heat and water and 40% electricity. The metro system – a crucial transport artery – remained shut down, he added.
Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians to be patient and called on regional authorities to be more creative in arranging emergency supplies of energy.
The northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest, was also badly hit, knocking out electricity, heating and running water.Interfax Ukraine news agency cited regional governor Oleh Synehubov as saying later on Friday that 55% of the city’s power was back up, and 85% in the surrounding region.
