Casualties, damage to infrastructure reported as Russia launches missiles, drones at various regions of Ukraine
Editor's note: This is a developing story.
Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, overnight on Jan. 28, local authorities reported.
The attack killed and injured civilians in cities across the country, caused widespread power outages, and damaged a monastery in Odesa.
Russia launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 146 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 103 drones. At least 36 drones and the missile made it through, striking 22 locations.
Kyiv
Explosions were heard in Ukraine's capital around 1:26 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Local authorities reported that air defense systems were activated to intercept incoming Russian drones.
Kyiv Oblast Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported that two people, a man and a woman, were killed in the Bilohorodka community, located on the outskirts of the capital. Several other people were also treated by paramedics but did not require hospitalization.
One of the victims was a mother who was at home with her 4-year-old child when their apartment came under attack, Hromadske reported.
The second victim was the woman's partner. At the time of the attack, they were both on the second floor of the apartment, while the child was on the first floor. Both adults died from a direct hit.
The 4-year-old child was carried out of the burning building by Radio Liberty war correspondent Marian Kushnir, Ukrainian TV channel 1+1 reported.
"I have a medical tactical backpack at home, so I ran to help. In the chaos, I saw a door that was slightly open. There was a child on the bed in the apartment, crying and screaming 'Mama,'" Kushnir said.
The fire spread so quickly that when he carried the child out and returned, the stairs were already on fire, Kushnir added.
The child is now staying with his father and older brother, according to Hromadske.
Drone debris was reported falling in the Holosiivskyi district, where the windows of a residential building were damaged and a fire broke out on the roof of a high-rise building.
Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa
Later in the night, the Air Force warned of missile approaching various cities including Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv. Drones were also seen approaching the cities of Odesa and Zaporizhzhia.
Russia launched two attacks on residential areas in Zaporizhzhia, injuring at least six people, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. The attacks also damaged 14 apartment buildings and about 20 cars.
The victims suffered shrapnel wounds, as well as concussions. One of the injured was hospitalized, while the others will continue treatment at home.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, said two civilians — a 51-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man — were injured in a ballistic missile strike on the city. Vilkul added that an infrastructure facility was struck, without providing details.
In Odesa, during the night of Jan. 28— a day of mourning for those killed in a Russian attack the previous day — another Russian strike injured three men aged 21, 67, and 80, according to Serhii Lysak, head of the city military administration.
The 21-year-old was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, while the other two men suffered traumatic brain injuries and declined hospitalization.
The Russian attack also damaged the Holy Dormition Monastery in Odesa, the Odesa Diocese said. Russian drones struck the monastery grounds three times.
Windows and doors were knocked out in the temple, and a number of buildings were damaged, including the cathedral temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Life-Giving Spring" and the greenhouse.
Energy Crisis
As a result of recent Russian attacks, consumers in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Chernihiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts were left without power, the Energy Ministry said. Kyiv and the surrounding region are also experiencing significant power shortages.
"The situation remains difficult, and emergency power outages are being enforced. A return to the predicted schedules will take place after the power system stabilizes," Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said during a briefing.
Weather conditions are further complicating the operation of the power system. Due to severe weather, more than 700 settlements in 11 oblasts remain without electricity.
By the evening of Jan. 28, over half a million consumers in Kyiv were still without power, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said in an update.
"As of the evening, there are 610,000 consumers in Kyiv without electricity," Shmyhal said.
Ukraine's allies are sending generators to support the country through the crisis, he said. Sixteen partner countries have provided generators, 437 of which Ukraine has already received from the European Union and Japan. Ukraine is expected to receive over 500 generators and over 50 power transformers from international partners, according to Shmyhal.
Despite power outages and ongoing Russian attacks, 87% of respondents did not change their place of residence, according to a survey by Gradus Research Company.
Among residents of eastern Ukraine and Kyiv — the areas most frequently targeted by Russian strikes — 21% and 18% of respondents, respectively, reported relocating.
Among the 13% of respondents who relocated because of energy shortages, 60% moved within their home region, while 50% moved elsewhere in Ukraine, the survey said.
Most respondents said they plan to return to their permanent place of residence once weather conditions improve and the security situation allows. However, a significant share of residents in the eastern and northern regions — 16% and 22%, respectively — said they do not yet plan to return.
Russia has intensified its aerial campaign throughout the winter, targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure as millions of Ukrainians endure freezing temperatures. A series of recent Russian strikes have led to widespread power outages across the country, resulting in a major energy crisis.
The attack follows two deadly strikes in Odesa and Kharkiv that caused numerous civilian casualties, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens more.
