Russia has unleashed a missile barrage including the use of hypersonic missiles – that cannot be intercepted – targeting energy infrastructure across Ukraine, in the largest such attack in three weeks.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said critical infrastructure and residential buildings in 10 regions had been hit. “The occupiers can only terrorise civilians. That’s all they can do. But it won’t help them. They won’t avoid responsibility for everything they have done,” Zelenskiy said in a statement.
At least five people were killed in a missile strike on a residential area in the western Lviv region – 440 miles from any military battlefield – according to emergency services. Three buildings were destroyed by fire after the strike and rescue workers were combing through rubble looking for more possible victims.
A sixth person died during strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region, its governor said.
Ukrainian officials said Moscow had fired six of its Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, an unprecedented number, which Ukraine has no way of shooting down. Russia is believed to have only a few dozen of the missiles, which the president, Vladimir Putin, regularly touts in speeches as a weapon for which Nato has no answer.
Ukraine said the missiles had knocked out the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, severing it from the Ukrainian grid.
The plant, which Russia has held since capturing it early in the war, is near the frontline and both sides have warned of a potential for nuclear accidents there caused by fighting. Russian-installed officials called the cut-off a Ukrainian provocation, and said the plant was running safely on diesel backup power.
Ukraine’s air force said the attack comprised, in total, “81 missiles of various types”, launched from Russian aircraft and carriers in the Black Sea. Defence forces destroyed 34 cruise missiles and four drones, it added.
“Unfortunately, a missile of the Kinzhal type hit an infrastructure object,” said Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv region’s military administration.
The military administration said 40% of people in the capital were without heating on Thursday morning. The city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said explosions were reported in the Holosiivskyi district, and two people were wounded in the Sviatoshynskyi district. Smoke could be seen rising from a facility in Holosiivskyi and police cordoned off all roads leading to it.
The governor of Odesa region said a mass missile attack hit an energy facility in the port city, cutting power. Residential areas were also struck.
Kharkiv was left without electricity as a result of the overnight attack, according to Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster. The regional governor, Oleh Synyehubov, said the city and region had been hit by 15 strikes, with targets including infrastructure.
Other blasts were reported in the central city of Dnipro and regions throughout Ukraine.