Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin threatens to target Kyiv with new missile after energy grid attack
Russia’s second big attack on Ukraine’s energy system this month left 1 million without power
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Your support makes all the difference.Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to strike “decision-making centres” in Kyiv with Moscow’s new intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Putin boasted Moscow’s production of advanced missile systems exceeds that of the NATO military alliance by 10 times, as he vowed to respond to the use of Western missiles by Ukraine.
Russian attacks have not so far struck government buildings in the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv is heavily protected by air defences, but Putin says Russia’s Oreshnik hypersonic missile is incapable of being intercepted.
“At present, the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff are selecting targets to hit on Ukrainian territory,” Putin told the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Kazakhstan.
“These could be military facilities, defence and industrial enterprises, or decision-making centres in Kyiv.”
It comes as Russia’s “massive” aerial attack on energy infrastructure across Ukraine left at least one million people without power.
In Russia’s second big attack on Ukraine’s energy grid this month, damage to the energy and other critical infrastructure was reported by officials across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used cruise missiles with cluster munitions in Thursday’s attack, calling it a “vile escalation”.
Russia’s attack comes at critical juncture of war
The war that broke out when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 is now at a critical juncture, with Russian ground forces advancing at their fastest pace so far this year in eastern Donetsk region.
Russia fired a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Ukraine this month in response to the US and Britain allowing Kyiv to strike Russian territory with advanced Western weapons.
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin does not want peace. We must force him into peace through strength," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, reiterating Kyiv's call for more air defence and long-range capabilities from its Western allies.
Almost 200 missiles and drones launched at Ukraine by Russia, says Zelensky
Russia launched almost 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine in its latest attack on the countrys energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
In a post on X this morning, he said: “In total, approximately 100 strike drones and over 90 missiles of various types were launched.
“Several regions reported Kalibr missile strikes with cluster munitions, deliberately aimed at civilian infrastructure.
“The use of these cluster elements significantly complicates the work of our rescuers and power engineers in mitigating the damage, marking yet another vile escalation in Russia’s terrorist tactics.”
Russia attacked Ukraine's Naftogaz facilities in the morning, company says
Ukraine's state oil and gas firm Naftogaz has said that Russian forces attacked its facilities in the morning missile strike, but it will not affect the company's work.
"Our employees and contracted services are dealing with the consequences of the damage," Naftogaz said on the Telegram messenger on Wednesday.
Russia mounts second big attack on energy sites this month leaving one million people without power
Russia unleashed its second big attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this month on Thursday, cutting power to more than 1 million people in the west, south, and center of the country, officials said.
Damage to the energy and other critical infrastructure was reported by officials in Lviv, Volyn, Rivne and Khmelnytskyi regions in the west, the Mykolayiv and Kherson regions in the south, and Zhytomyr region in the centre.
The attack reinforced fears of long power cuts during the winter months as temperatures across Ukraine hover around zero.
"Another Russian missile and drone barrage, targeting civilians and energy grid, causing power outages across Ukraine," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.
Ukrainian officials said it was the 11th major strike on the Ukrainian energy system since March. Russia had knocked out about half of Ukraine's available generating capacity, damaged the distribution system and forced long blackouts.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia used cruise missiles with cluster munitions in Thursday's attack, calling it a "despicable escalation".
Ukrainian air defence shot down 79 out of 91 Russian missiles and downed 35 drones, the air force said.
A source in the energy sector source said Ukraine disconnected several nuclear power units from the network amid the Russian attack. Ukraine relies on nuclear generation for more than 50 per cent of its electricity supplies.
The capital Kyiv was targeted but all missiles or drones were downed, officials said.
There was no immediate comment from Moscow on Thursday's attack. Russia denies targeting civilian targets.
Russia returns seven children to Ukraine after mediation by Qatar, state news agency reports
Russia returned seven children to Ukraine following mediation efforts by Qatar, the TASS state news agency reported on Thursday.
Qatar has acted as a mediator several times between Russia and Ukraine to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children since the start of the war.
Zelensky says Russia used cluster munitions to attack power sector and condemns ‘vile escalation’
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia used cruise missiles with cluster munitions to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Thursday, calling it a "vile escalation."
Zelenskiy reiterated his call to Kyiv's Western allies to provide more air defence and ensure timely deliveries, especially during critical winter months as Ukraine struggles to protect its energy infrastructure from the strikes.
Ukraine’s military says it downed 79 missiles and 35 drones during Russia’s attack
Ukraine's air force has said it shot down 79 out of 91 missiles launched by Russia during its attack targeting the country's energy infrastructure.
The Ukrainian military shot down 35 drones and lost track of 62 out of 97 drones launched by Russia in the attack, it said on Thursday.
Ukraine disconnected several nuclear power units amid Russian attack, Ukraine source says
Ukraine disconnected several nuclear power units from the network amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure on Thursday, a Ukrainian energy industry source told Reuters.
One million people without power in western Ukraine after Russian attack
At least one million people are without any power after Russian attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight across three western region, officials said.
The attacks cut power to 523,000 consumers in Lviv region, about 215,000 in Volyn region and over 280,000 in Rivne region, their governors reported on the Telegram channels.
Thousands without power as Russia mounts ‘massive’ missile attack on Ukraine
Russia hit Ukraine with a “massive” missile attack on energy infrastructure across several cities overnight, officials said. It represents Russia’s second big attack on the besieged country’s energy grid this month.
Officials confirmed massive blasts and power cuts across the country, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
“Energy infrastructure is once again targeted by the enemy’s massive strike,” Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook. Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo introduced emergency power cuts amid the attack, Mr Galushchenko said.
Ukraine’s top private power company DTEK said the power cuts impacted the capital as well as the Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions.
During the overnight missile attack on the western Rivne region, governor Oleksandr Koval said 280,000 consumers experienced power cuts. He also reported interruptions in water supply without elaborating on damage.
The mayor of the western town of Lutsk reported power cuts after several strikes, adding that the services were working to connect water and heating infrastructure to alternative power sources.
Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said a missile strike on the city damaged a business facility and windows in an apartment building.
The missile attack on the northeastern Sumy region targeted infrastructure, regional authorities said. Debris in Kyiv fell on the grounds of a business and dealt minor damage to several buildings and a truck, the Kyiv city military administration said.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, particularly during the winter months of the almost three-year-long war, which have triggered long power cuts for ordinary civilians.
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