More than 600,000 people in Ukraine’s Kyiv region are without electricity following an overnight Russian attack, officials said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy reported that over 500,000 of them were in the capital, while the rest were in the surrounding region. The power outages were attributed to missile and drone strikes targeting energy infrastructure in the city and several other regions.
Around 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones were launched at targets across Ukraine by Saturday, officials said, killing three people and injuring dozens more, according to the BBC, as reported by Gazeta Express.
Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure as the invaded nation enters winter, despite U.S.-led efforts to secure a peace agreement.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said it had carried out “a massive strike… against Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises and the energy facilities supporting their operation.”
In addition to energy infrastructure, several residential buildings were hit in the overnight attacks, Ukrainian officials said.
Loud explosions were heard across Kyiv early Saturday morning. Emergency services were later seen responding to burning and damaged apartment blocks struck during the attack.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, said a 13-year-old child was among the 29 people injured in the city.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down 558 drones and 19 missiles.
The Ukrainian capital is among several cities that have suffered regular air bombardments since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Many Ukrainians have also faced frequent power cuts, as Moscow has targeted energy infrastructure during previous winters.
