At least six people have died after Russia launched hundreds of missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure and residential targets in Ukraine overnight.
A strike on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro killed two people and wounded 12, while three died in Zaporizhzhia.
In all, 25 locations across Ukraine, including the capital city Kyiv, were hit, leaving many areas without electricity and heating. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram that major energy facilities were damaged in the Poltava, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions, and work was under way to restore power.
In Russia, the defence ministry said its forces had shot down 79 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The Ukrainian air force reported that more than 450 bomber drones and 45 missiles were launched by Russia. Of these, nine missiles and 406 drones were shot down.
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry indicated there were power outages in the Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhya, Odesa, and Kirovohrad regions, but restoration efforts were ongoing.
Svyrydenko mentioned that critical infrastructure facilities have already been reconnected, and water supply is being maintained using generators.
Russia maintains that its strikes on energy targets are aimed at the Ukrainian military.
The ongoing aerial assaults on Ukraine's energy infrastructure signify a strategy to undermine the country's morale and economy as winter approaches.
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that there should be 'no exceptions' to Western sanctions against Russian energy, arguing that these measures must be enforced to pressure Moscow.
These missile strikes occurred shortly after the US provided Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions on Russian oil and gas, raising concerns that such decisions could empower Russia's military capabilities against Ukraine.
Zelensky asserted that for every Russian strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, there should be an equivalent sanctions response globally, reinforcing the need for action from the US, Europe, and the G7.
