Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine kills at least 24 civilians, say Ukrainian officials
Around 60 people were injured as Kyiv and about a dozen regions were hit, with 18 dead in Chernihiv province's Priluky, officials said.
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Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine in the early hours of Wednesday. Kyiv and about a dozen regions across the country were hit. According to Ukrainian officials, at least 24 civilians were killed and about 60 were injured.
Four children are among the dead. The attack damaged several residential buildings, industrial sites and energy infrastructure. Coming just before winter sets in, the strike on Ukraine's energy system has made the situation more serious.
Ukraine said Russia used about 70 missiles and a large number of drones in the attack. Explosions were heard in Chernihiv, Dnipro, Poltava, Kharkiv and other areas besides Kyiv. Russia's defence ministry called the operation a "major strike" and claimed it targeted Ukrainian military and industrial sites.
Ukraine, on the other hand, says residential areas and energy facilities also suffered heavy damage. Ukraine's air defence system claims to have shot down several missiles and drones, but it could not stop all of them.
The city of Priluky in Chernihiv province was the worst affected. A Russian missile destroyed a large part of a five-storey residential building. Local officials said 18 people were killed in this incident, including four children.
About 50 people were injured in the same incident. Rescue work continued because more people are feared trapped under the rubble. In Kyiv too, residential and other buildings were damaged, and people took shelter in metro stations to save their lives.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's energy infrastructure was also targeted in the attack. Emergency power cuts were imposed in Kyiv and several other regions after the strike. With winter approaching, the effect on electricity supply could become a major challenge for Ukraine.
Zelensky said more air defence systems are needed to stop Russia's ballistic missiles. Ukraine has also claimed to have struck Russian oil depots and energy facilities in retaliation. This raises the possibility of the air war intensifying further.
