Moscow unleashes powerful missile attacks across Ukraine
RUSSIA has unleashed a “massive missile attack” across Ukraine, hitting homes and buildings, killing civilians and disrupting power and water supplies.
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down more than 60 of the 70 missiles fired.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, drove a car across a bridge linking his country to Crimea following its repair from a truck bombing in October which embarrassed Moscow.
Russia responded to the bridge attack by firing waves of missiles at Ukrainian infrastructure targets in the weeks that followed, and Monday’s onslaught was the latest round of retaliatory strikes.
Russia is seeking to disable Ukraine’s energy supplies and infrastructure as winter approaches – part of a new strategy in its nine-month war.
The onslaught of attacks also came hours after Russian media reported two explosions at air bases inside Russia.
The Russian defence ministry said it shot down Ukrainian drones which carried out the attack – and that three Russian servicemen were killed by debris.
Four other Russian servicemen were wounded by fragments of the drones intercepted at the bases in the Saratov and Ryazan regions, the defence ministry said in Moscow.
The ministry said two Russian aircraft were slightly damaged by drone fragments.
Authorities in the Saratov region along the Volga River said they were checking reports about an explosion in the area of the Engels air base, which houses Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
Regional media reported sounds of a powerful explosion near the Engels base, and some residents were quoted as saying they saw a flash of light coming from the area.
Ukraine has not commented on the possible cause of the blasts at the bases.
But, defiant as ever, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his military forces and the technicians who snapped into action to repair the damage caused by Russia’s missiles.
“Air defence shot down most of the missiles,” he said in brief comments on social media. “Power engineers have already started to restore electricity. Our people never give up.”
Ukraine’s air force said early indications showed Russian forces fired 38 cruise missiles from carriers in the Caspian Sea and from the southern Russian region of Rostov.
Another 22 Kalibr cruise missiles were fired from its Black Sea fleet, and long-range bombers, fighter jets and guided missiles were also involved, it said.
“In total, more than 60 invaders’ missiles were shot down!” the air force said on its Telegram channel.
Ukraine’s electricity provider, Ukrenergo, lashed out at Russia over “the eighth massive missile attack by a terrorist country”, saying its facilities had been hit, triggering blackouts.
It urged residents to stay in shelters as its crews tried to repair the damage.
In the capital Kyiv, scores of people quickly filled the central Zoloti Vorota metro station after the warnings and many checked their phones for updates. There were no immediate signs of whether the city or the surrounding region was hit. Air raid sirens sounded across the country.
Ukrainian media reported explosions in several parts of the country south of Kyiv, including Cherkasy, Kryvyi Rih and Odesa.
Officials said water, electricity and central heating was cut to many parts of Odesa.
“The enemy is again attacking the territory of Ukraine with missiles!” Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office said two people were killed and three others hurt – including a 22-month-old child – in the village of Novosofiyivka in the southern Zaporizhzhya region.
In neighbouring Moldova, the interior ministry said on its Facebook page that border patrol officers found a rocket in an orchard near the northern city of Briceni near Ukraine.
Power engineers have already started to restore electricity. Our people never give up