Kyiv: Russian offensive forces fired dozens of missiles across the country on Friday, causing widespread power outages and one of the biggest attacks of the war on Ukraine's capital, according to Ukrainian officials.
The barrage, which affected critical infrastructure in cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Zaporizhzhya, was accompanied by gunfire from air defense systems, rumbles of explosions, and air raid sirens. The commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that out of 76 missiles launched, 60 were intercepted.
Without you my lovely sunshine, what am I going to do? Svetlana Andrychuk sobbed as Red Cross workers grabbed her. A missile attack on a four-story apartment complex in Kryvyi Rih killed three people, including his sister Olha.
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He had a wonderful outlook towards life. She was stunning. She was helpful to everyone. He provided guidance to all. How I love you," Andrychuk said.
According to city councilor Ksenia Semenova, as of Friday evening 60% of Kyiv's residents were without electricity and 70% were without water. She said the metro system was not in use and service was unlikely to resume on Saturday.
Since mid-October, intermittent Russian attacks on water and electricity infrastructure have made life more difficult for the population as winter approaches. However, the Ukrainian military has reported an increase in its ability to shoot down rockets and explosive drones.
Friday's attacks came as the US decided this week to deliver Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine to bolster its defences. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Thursday that the sophisticated system and any crew carrying it would be a legitimate target for the Russian military.
Additionally, the United States last month pledged to send Ukraine $53 million in energy-related equipment to help deter attacks on its infrastructure. The first batch of that aid has already arrived in the country, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
More than half of the missiles fired by Russia on Friday were aimed at the Ukrainian capital. Since Russia invaded Ukraine about ten months ago, the city administration said Kyiv had suffered "one of the worst rocket attacks".
One person was hurt, it was said, and 37 of about 40 missiles that tried to enter the city's airspace were shot down by Ukrainian air defence.
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According to Ukraine's air force, the Russian military launched cruise missiles from the Admiral Makarov frigate in the Black Sea, as well as tactical aircraft-borne guided missiles and long-range Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 bombers over the Sea of Azov. Launched from
A large hole was found in the upper floors of a missile-hit apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky in central Ukraine.
At least 13 people were hospitalized in addition to the three deaths, according to Igor Karelin, deputy director of the city's emergency services.
A missing mother and her 18-month-old baby were searched by rescue teams with the help of sniffer dogs, who searched through the rubble. About 600 miners in Kryvyi Rih were also trapped underground as a result of the missile attacks, but were later rescued. Many energy infrastructure facilities, according to him, were "completely destroyed."
The ninth wave of missile attacks on energy facilities occurred on Friday, according to state-owned grid operator Ukrainergo. As a result of the repeated outages, "restoration of power supply may take longer than previously thought," the company wrote on Facebook.
According to analysts, Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are an attempt to subjugate the country after the Russian military's defeat on the battlefield.
According to experts, this has only made Ukrainians more determined to resist the Russian offensive as Moscow tries to buy time for a possible invasion in the coming months after the current standoff on the battlefield.
Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Sinihubov, reported three attacks on the city's critical infrastructure on Friday. By evening, power had been restored to about 55% of the city.
According to city council secretary Anatoly Kurtaev, 21 rockets were fired into the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhya and its surrounding area. Initially there was no report of any injuries.
In addition, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, explosions occurred in at least four districts of Kyiv. Many locals took shelter deep underground in the metro tunnels.
Military leaders at the scene of one attempted attack in Kiev told The Associated Press that a cruise missile had been shot down with a machine gun by the city's territorial defence mobile group. It wasn't immediately obvious if additional Ukrainian fire may have helped bring the rocket down.
It was nearly impossible to hit a missile with a machine gun, but it was accomplished, according to a commander who requested anonymity due to security concerns by using the call sign "Hera."
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The national railroad company, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported that a number of stations in the eastern and central Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions lacked power. However, after switching from electric power to a backup steam engine, trains continued to run.
The state-owned energy company in Moldova, a neighbouring country, reported issues with its electricity network and issued a "high risk" of power outages alert.
The recent Russian attack on Ukraine's energy grid has already caused two significant blackouts in Moldova, whose systems from the Soviet era are still linked to Ukraine's.
On December 5, Russia conducted a similar round of widespread airstrikes across Ukraine.
The U.S. ambassador in Kyiv, Bridget Brink, posted on Twitter, "Grateful for the work of Ukraine's air defence amid more escalating Russian attacks this morning on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv and around the country."
