KYIV, Dec 5 - Russia fired a new barrage of missiles on Ukraine on Monday, killing two people, destroying homes in the southeast and causing significant power outages, officials said.
Air raid sirens wailed in the capital, Kyiv, and across the country. Officials called it the latest wave of Russian missile strikes since Moscow's invasion on Feb. 24.
The attack followed a series of heavy Russian airstrikes on energy facilities in recent weeks. Kyiv authorities had earlier told residents that they would be able to end emergency power outages after repairs were made following the previous attacks.
Netblocks, a London-based Internet monitoring company, said connectivity broke down in several Ukrainian regions during the strikes.
Throngs of people crowded into the Ukrainian capital's vast subway system to seek shelter. Men, women and children sat somberly wrapped in warm caps, thick coats and with their hoods pulled up. Temperatures were around -5 degrees Celsius (23degrees Fahrenheit).
"Do not ignore the alert," said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential staff, as air raid warnings were issued throughout Ukraine.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Presidential Office, said missiles hit buildings in Zaporizhzhia in the southeast, destroying several houses and killing two people. Three people were wounded, including a young child, he said.
Details about the impacts and the extent of the damage were not immediately clear. Unconfirmed images circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke near a power plant south of Kiev.
The water supply in the Odesa region has been stopped as all pumping stations and backup lines have lost power, the regional water utility announced on Telegram.
The mayor of the southern city of Mykolaiv said that the power supply in the entire region has been cut off due to fire danger.
Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukrainian power facilities in recent weeks as they have suffered setbacks on the battlefield, causing major power outages at the onset of winter.
In neighbouring Moldova, the Moldelectrica electricity company reported interruptions in power supply.
0 Comments