Ukrainian authorities have issued air raid alerts nationwide as Russian bombers continue to carry out deadly strikes. Two more people were killed in a hotel strike in Kryvyi Rih, while another two were killed in drone attacks in Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv was targeted multiple times overnight, with explosions reported in the capital. The latest attacks come after Russia launched a massive assault on Ukraine’s power grid, causing widespread blackouts and water outages.
Analysts believe that Russia may struggle to sustain such massive strikes on a regular basis due to limited defence-industrial capacity. President Zelenskiy reported that Moscow had launched over 100 missiles and drones in one of the largest Russian attacks. The US, UK, and Germany have condemned the assault, with President Biden calling it “outrageous” and British foreign secretary Lammy labeling it “cowardly”.
Ukraine’s energy grid and key facilities have been targeted in repeated large-scale drone and missile attacks by Russia since the invasion began in February 2022. The Russian defence ministry claimed their strikes were aimed at disrupting Ukraine’s military-production complex. Nato member Poland reported airspace violations during the attacks, possibly by drones.
The escalation in violence also led to casualties among journalists covering the conflict, with a safety adviser for Reuters killed in a missile strike. One journalist was in critical condition while another was injured. President Zelenskiy called for European air forces to help defend against future attacks using drones and missiles. The Kremlin stated there was no clarity on the deliberate targeting of journalists when asked about the strike.
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