Russian drone and missile attacks injured over 20 individuals in Kyiv, damaging residential structures and causing power outages in various parts of Ukraine early on Friday, as per authorities. Additionally, a child lost their life in separate assaults in the country’s southeast region.
In central Kyiv, emergency teams rescued more than 20 people from a 17-story apartment building while fires raged on the sixth and seventh floors. Five individuals were taken to hospitals, with others receiving initial medical aid on-site, authorities confirmed.
A resident, 61-year-old Tetiana Lemishevska, recounted the harrowing experience, stating, “Everyone was asleep, and suddenly a loud noise was heard; it was evident that something was flying. I managed to shield myself with a blanket, and then the strike hit — shattering the windows, sending glass fragments almost to the door.”
Detailing the onslaught, Ukraine’s air force disclosed that the recent Russian attack involved 465 drones for strikes and deception, along with 32 missiles of diverse kinds. Air defenses successfully intercepted or disrupted 405 drones and 15 missiles, the air force added.
In the Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast, residential zones and energy installations were heavily hit by drone attacks, missiles, and precision bombs, resulting in the tragic death of a seven-year-old boy and injuries to his parents and others, military authorities reported. Moreover, a hydroelectric plant in the area was deactivated as a safeguard measure.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted that the Russian strikes specifically targeted civilian and energy infrastructure as Ukraine braced for plummeting winter temperatures. Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko echoed this sentiment, calling the assault one of the most concentrated strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities.
Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, noted power outages in Kyiv and surrounding regions, including Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Cherkasy. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko remarked that the attack on Friday led to power disruptions on both sides of the city, bisected by the Dnipro River.
The energy sector has emerged as a critical battleground since Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has historically targeted the Ukrainian power grid before the harsh winter season to undermine public morale, with temperatures in Ukraine dropping from late October through March, reaching their coldest in January and February.
During a visit to Lviv in western Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski pledged discussions on supporting Ukraine with additional electricity supplies. He condemned the attacks as a form of intimidation ahead of winter. Russia, on the other hand, has accused Ukraine of striking energy facilities, with reports of drone attacks causing fires at energy sites in Russia’s Volograd region.
