Russia has fired scores of missiles into Ukraine concentrating on Kyiv, the north-eastern metropolis of Kharkiv and different cities in a large aerial bombardment that despatched folks speeding to shelters and knocked out energy, Ukrainian authorities say.
In Kyiv, a group of emergency staff searched by the smoldering wreckage of a residential home destroyed by a blast, and photographs confirmed the smoke trails of missiles lingering within the sky over the capital.
In Kharkiv fireplace fighters labored to extinguish a blaze at an electrical energy station.
“Mindless barbarism. These are the one phrases that come to thoughts seeing Russia launch one other missile barrage at peaceable Ukrainian cities forward of New Yr,” Ukraine’s Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted after the early morning barrage on Thursday.
Ukraine’s army mentioned it shot down 54 missiles out of 69 launched by Russia in an assault that started at 7am native time.
Air raid sirens rang out throughout the nation and in Kyiv sounded for 5 hours – in one of many longest alarms of the battle.
“This morning, the aggressor launched air and sea-based cruise missiles, anti-aircraft guided missiles and S-300 ADMS at power infrastructure amenities of our nation,” wrote Ukraine’s prime normal, Valery Zaluzhny, on Telegram.
Brigadier Common Oleksiy Hromov of the Armed Forces of Ukraine mentioned the missiles have been fired at “vital and power infrastructure amenities within the japanese, central, western and southern areas”.
The assaults adopted an in a single day assault by ‘kamikaze’ drones.
Russia has mounted quite a few waves of air strikes in latest months on Ukrainian vital infrastructure, leaving tens of millions with out energy and warmth in freezing temperatures.
The newest blitz got here laborious on the heels of the Kremlin’s rejection of a Ukrainian peace plan, insisting that Kyiv should settle for Russia’s annexation of 4 Ukrainian areas.
Kyiv metropolis army administration mentioned two non-public homes in Darnytskyi district have been broken by the fragments of downed missiles and a enterprise and a playground have been additionally broken.
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko mentioned 16 missiles have been shot down over the capital and three folks have been injured.
Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov mentioned officers have been clarifying what had been hit and whether or not there have been casualties, whereas the mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, mentioned on Telegram that 90 p.c of his metropolis in western Ukraine was with out electrical energy.
The missiles had broken an power infrastructure unit.
In Odesa area, in south-west Ukraine, air protection items shot down 21 missiles, its governor Maksym Marchenko mentioned.
The fragments of 1 missile hit a residential constructing, though no casualties have been reported, he added.
Moscow has repeatedly denied concentrating on civilians, however Ukraine says its every day bombardment is destroying cities, cities, and the nation’s energy, medical and different infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video tackle, urged Ukrainians to hug family members, inform mates they respect them, assist colleagues, thank their mother and father and rejoice with their youngsters extra usually.
“We now have not misplaced our humanity, though now we have endured horrible months,” he mentioned.
“And we won’t lose it, though there’s a troublesome 12 months forward.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what President Vladimir Putin calls a “particular army operation” to demilitarize its neighbor.
Kyiv and its Western allies have denounced Russia’s actions as an imperialist-style land seize.
Sweeping sanctions have been imposed on Russia for the battle, which has killed tens of 1000’s of individuals, pushed tens of millions from their houses, left cities in ruins and shaken the worldwide financial system, driving up power and meals costs.
There’s nonetheless no prospect of talks to finish the battle.
Mr Zelensky is vigorously pushing a 10-point peace plan that envisages Russia respecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and pulling out all its troops.
However Moscow dismissed it on Wednesday, reiterating that Kyiv should settle for Russia’s annexation of the 4 areas – Luhansk and Donetsk within the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia within the south.
It additionally says Ukraine should settle for the lack of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
