Russia on Friday launched a “massive attack” on Kyiv, hitting key energy infrastructure and triggering power cuts, Ukraine said, as one of its ministers warned that Moscow is targeting the national energy grid.
“The capital of the country is under an enemy ballistic missile attack and a massive attack by the enemy strike drones,” the Ukrainian air force said, urging Kyiv residents to remain in shelters.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russian forces had targeted “critical infrastructure” and wounded at least nine people, five of whom were taken to the hospital.
Russia seems to be deploying a similar tactic it has been using for years to cripple Ukraine by hitting its energy grid ahead of the harsh winter months.
“The left bank of the capital is without electricity. There are also problems with water supply,” Klitschko said on the Telegram platform.
The Ukrainian energy minister, Svitlana Grynchuk, said Russian forces were “inflicting a massive strike” on the grid.
“Energy workers are taking all necessary measures to minimise the negative consequences,” Grynchuk said on Facebook.
“As soon as security conditions allow, energy workers will begin clarifying the consequences of the attack and restoration work,” she said.
‘Ramping up pressure’
Meanwhile, after US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, the focus has shifted toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump said Thursday that Washington and NATO allies were “stepping up the pressure” to end the war in Ukraine, after his outreach to Russia’s Vladimir Putin failed to achieve a ceasefire.
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More Shorts“Yeah, we are stepping up the pressure,” Trump said in the Oval Office during a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb when asked by an AFP reporter if he would increase efforts for a deal.
“We’re stepping it up together. We’re all stepping it up. NATO has been great,” he added.
With inputs from agencies