Ukraine rebounds from Russia barrage, repairs power grid
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's capital had most of its power supply restored Friday, officials said, as the country again responded swiftly and defiantly to the latest Russian missile and drone barrage targeting critical infrastructure.
In what has become a familiar Russian tactic since early October, the Kremlin's forces struck Ukraine from afar Thursday while the ground battles in the country's east largely remained mired in a grinding stalemate.
The apparent aim of attacking power stations and other infrastructure is to weaken Ukraine's resolve and compel the government to negotiate peace on Moscow's terms.
Ukrainian authorities scrambled to counter the consequences of the latest bombardment, part of a recurring cycle in the course of the war, which recently entered its second year.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said the Russians are striking civilian infrastructure because they can't efficiently target Ukrainian military assets.
“The Russians lack data about the location of Ukrainian troops and weapons, so they are targeting civilian infrastructure and using the same old methods of attacking civilians to sow fear and panic in the society,” he said.
In another sign of normality quickly returning, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Friday.
Marin accompanied President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior military officers at the funeral of one of Ukraine's bestknown fighters and commanders who was killed near the devastated city of Bakhmut.
The service for Dmytro Kotsiubailo, killed a few days earlier at the age of 27, was held at the cathedral of Kyiv's St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. Many of the thousands of mourners clutched flowers, and the crowd knelt in silence as Kotsiubailo's coffin was carried out of the church toward Maidan Square.
Zelenskyy and Marin also laid flowers at a memorial to fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
The prime minister echoed other Western leaders who have accused Russia of war crimes and said Russian soldiers and leaders would be held accountable in a courtroom.
“Putin knows he will have to answer for his crime of aggression,” the Finnish leader said during a news conference. “The future tribunal must bring justice efficiently and answer Ukrainians' rightful demands.”