KIEV—Russia on Thursday unleashed a new wave of airstrikes across Ukraine, killing at least six people and destroying power, including at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
The Ukrainian military said Russia launched 81 missiles and eight drones in attacks that primarily targeted energy infrastructure, and the weapons used included six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that Ukraine could not intercept. said to have been included.
The attacks, which mostly targeted energy installations, hit the capital Kiev, the port of Odessa on the Black Sea and the second largest city Kharkov, hitting more than half a dozen provinces.
The Ukrainian military claimed its air defenses knocked out at least 34 missiles and four Shahed suicide drones, but local officials said five in western Lviv and one in southeastern Dnipropetrovsk in southeastern Ukraine. said to have died.
“It was a massive attack and the first of its kind with so many different types of missiles…the enemy launched six Kinjars,” said Air Force spokesman Yuri Inat. . “It was like nothing I’ve ever had before.”
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over a year ago, stepped up its airstrikes last October and has frequently failed to provide electricity to millions of people since.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least two people were injured in attacks on the capital that took 40 percent of the capital’s heating off Thursday.
A Reuters correspondent in Kiev heard a series of explosions around 7:00 am (0500 GMT).
Ukraine’s state nuclear agency, Energoatom, said the strike also cut power to Europe’s largest Zaporizhiya nuclear power plant, forcing it to switch to diesel generators with enough fuel to power it for 10 days. rice field.
Uklenergo, the state-owned grid operator, said power was restricted in all areas as a precautionary measure during the strike, and that the attack would result in longer blackouts in at least three areas.
A Russian-installed official in the controlled Zaporizhia region said the cutoff of power to the nuclear power plant was a “provocation”.
Kharkiv governor Olev Sinekhbov said his city in northeastern Ukraine was hit by about 15 S-300 ballistic missiles that Ukraine could not intercept.