What to know about missile attacks in Ukraine

Kiev (Ukraine) – Early morning missile and drone strikes in Ukraine have left at least five dead and many more injured, in what appears to be part of a un large-scale bombing targets across the country.

At least 81 missiles, including six hypersonic missiles known as Kinzhal and eight Shahed drones, were fired overnight, according to the Ukrainian military.

- Advertisement -

An officer in Kiev said one of the Kinzhals appeared to have reached the capital.

At least 34 of the missiles were interceptedaccording to the military.

Four people died in their homes when a rocket hit a residential area in western Lviv region bordering Poland, and one person, a 34-year-old man, died in Dneprotrovsk region in central Ukraine, according to as reported by the local authorities. .

In the capital Kiev, two large explosions an hour apart injured at least two residents and sent a column of black smoke from the city centre, shaking windows and engulfing cars in flames.

The explosions occurred after thes air raid sirens will play during all night long for more than six hours, ending a weeks-long hiatus in such attacks on the capital.

Ukrainian authorities, including the president Volodymyr Zelenskyhave been warning since the end of February, around the anniversary of the Russian invasion, of the possibility of a barrage of missile attacks.

Since October, Russia has fired missiles at Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure in what military analysts say were attempts to cause blackouts and plunge the country into darkness during the winter months to demoralize the population.

This is the situation in Ukraine:

– Explosions in Kiev were heard around 6:00 and around 7:00

It wasn’t immediately clear whether they came from air defense weapons exploding in the sky or from missiles hitting the city.

When the air defenses managed to drop missiles on the city, the falling debris caused damage and killed people in the capital.

– The attacks caused power outages emergency in kyiv, where the mayor said about 15% were without electricity and 40% without heating, as well as in other parts of the country.

THE Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plantin southern Ukraine, it was disconnected from external power lines and switched to diesel generators.

The Ukrainian power company DTEK said the missiles were damaged three of its generating plants.

– In Odessaon the Black Sea coast in southern Ukraine, missiles hit energy infrastructure and residential buildings, according to the regional military administration.

– North, inside Kharkivnear Ukraine’s border with Russia, 15 missiles hit infrastructure and a residential building in and around the city, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the region’s military administration, told Telegram.

c.2023 The New York Times Society