Russian drones and missiles strike Ukraine's capital, east, south, and southeast

Officials in Ukraine said that Russian missiles destroyed residential buildings in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine and Odesa, in the south. A blizzard drones also caused temporary power outages in Mykolaiv Region and targeted Kyiv's capital, they added.

Russia is gaining territory in Ukraine's eastern part and is launching nightly attacks against distant cities, using cheap "suicide drones" as well as low-cost, "decoy drones" that stall Ukrainian air defences.

Ukraine's air force reported that of the 145 drones it used over night, it shot down 71, and lost track 71 others, probably due to electronic warfare tactics used against them.

Overnight, residents of the capital heard the drones buzzing as they flew over the city. As air defences attempted to shoot down the drones, automatic gunfire was heard occasionally.

The President of Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, called on Kyiv’s Western allies - the United States and the European Union - to increase pressure on Russia in order to stop the components for weapons systems from reaching the country.

He said that "these Russian attacks on Ukrainians can be stopped." He said that "pressure, sanctions, preventing the occupants from accessing the components used to make the terror tools, as well as arms packages for Ukraine" could be achieved.

The regional governor and the national police reported that a Russian missile attack in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday injured 23 people and destroyed over 40 buildings.

The interior ministry of Ukraine said that a second missile attack in southern Odesa damaged residential buildings, and 10 people were injured.

Authorities in both regions said that the drone attack on energy infrastructure in Mykolaiv caused power outages and industrial facilities in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine were also hit.

Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, in February 2022, Russia has continued to destroy Ukraine's infrastructure and power grid. Moscow claims it doesn't target civilians, but the U.N. confirmed the deaths of nearly 12,000 Ukrainians civilians. Officials in Kyiv claim the number is probably much higher.

Although there have been no reported casualties, the latest Russian attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure has re-instilled fears about long winter blackouts.

(source: Reuters)