2 die as Russia attacks Ukraine’s power supply
KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian cruise missile strike on infrastructure in Ukraine’s western Lviv region killed a man, while another died in a northeast attack, officials said Sunday.
The attack in Lviv destroyed a building and sparked a fire, Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on social media app Telegram.
In the Kharkiv region, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said an air attack killed a 19-yearold man after a missile hit a gas station.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands in Ukraine’s Odesa region were left without power Sunday after debris from a downed Russian drone caused a blaze at an energy facility, Gov. Oleh Kiper said. Some 170,000 homes suffered power outages as a result, said Ukraine’s largest private electricity operator, DTEK.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down nine of the 11 Shahed-type drones launched by Russia overnight, as well as nine out of 14 cruise missiles.
Russia has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent days, causing significant damage in several regions.
In a message Sunday to mark the date when some of Ukraine’s Christians celebrate Easter, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the country to persevere.
“There is not a day or night right now when Russian terror does not try to shatter our lives,” he said.
“Our spirit does not give up and knows that death can be averted. Life can win,” the president added.
In Russia, meanwhile, 10 Czech-made Vampire rockets landed in the region of Belgorod on Sunday, the Ministry of Defense said. One woman was injured when a fire broke out following the attack, said regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov. Another woman was killed as shelling hit villages along the Russian border.