WEB DESK: Russian forces carried out their most intense missile assault of the year on Ukraine early Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuring several more. The attack also caused significant damage to infrastructure, leading to emergency power outages in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s energy operator, Ukrenergo, announced that these power outages were enforced following what Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, described as a brief but severe missile offensive on the capital. DTEK, a private Ukrainian energy company, revealed that one of its thermal power plants sustained considerable damage during the strikes.
Since the onset of its invasion in February 2022, Russia has frequently targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure using missiles and drones, seeking to disrupt power and heating services—especially critical during the winter months. This persistent campaign strains Ukrainian air defenses, which continue to grapple with intercepting relentless waves of attacks.
Ukrainian monitoring channels on Telegram reported that approximately 20 ballistic missiles were launched over the span of an hour during the night, calling it the most prolonged assault so far this year. The Ukrainian military has not yet released a full assessment of the attack, while Russian authorities have also refrained from commenting.
In Kharkiv, located 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border and often targeted by Moscow, a strike on the city’s outskirts claimed four lives and left six others injured, according to Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. The State Emergency Service reported that the attack hit a postal terminal, wreaking havoc across 500 square meters, including extensive structural damage and multiple fires. Rescuers managed to save 30 individuals, including two trapped beneath rubble.
Meanwhile, in the southern port city of Odesa, five people sustained injuries in another overnight assault by Russian forces. Fires broke out in locations such as an unused building, a fitness center, and a vocational school, as confirmed by emergency services.
