KYIV: Ukraine said Russia had destroyed homes in the south and knocked out power in the north in a new round of missile attacks as the West tried to limit Moscow’s ability to finance its war by imposing a price cap on Russian seaborne oil.
Air alerts sounded across Ukraine and officials urged civilians to take shelter from what they said was the latest in waves of Russian missile strikes since its February 24 war.
Two people were killed in the Zaporizhzhia region where several houses were destroyed, the deputy head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said in one of the first reports of the damage.
Buildings had been hit in the suburbs of the city of Zaporizhzhia and some Russian missiles had been shot down, a city official said.
The governor of the Kyiv region said its air defences were working there, and told residents to remain in shelters. An energy provider said power had been knocked out on the northern region of Sumy in the latest missile strikes.
Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks as they faced setbacks on the battlefield, causing major power outages as winter sets in.
“Don’t ignore the alarm,” said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential staff.
Ukraine had only just returned to scheduled power outages from Monday rather than the emergency blackouts it has suffered since Russian strikes on November 23, the worst of the attacks on energy infrastructure that began in early October. — Reuters
