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 reported that its forces shot down 79 Ukrainian drones during the night.
The Ukrainian air force noted that over 450 exploding drones and 45 missiles were launched by Russia, with nine missiles and 406 drones reportedly intercepted.
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry confirmed power outages in several regions, but restoration efforts are ongoing, with critical infrastructure being reconnected and water supplied via generators.
Russian authorities claim that their assault on energy targets is aimed at crippling the Ukrainian military.
However, officials in Kyiv are concerned that such attacks are not only meant to damage morale but are also attempts to stymie economic activity by dismantling the energy grid ahead of winter.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that ongoing attacks necessitate strict adherence to Western sanctions against Russian energy, aiming to maintain pressure on Moscow.
The missile strikes occurred shortly after the US announced a one-year exemption for Hungary regarding restrictions on purchasing Russian oil and gas.
In response to the violence, Zelensky insisted that sanctions against Russian energy should be escalated, calling for relevant decisions from the US, Europe, and the G7.
