President Volodymyr Zelensky said that over 40 Russian missiles had been destroyed near Kyiv and in the central regions on Dec. 16.
“No matter what the missile worshipers from Moscow are hoping for, it still won't change the balance of power in this war. They still have enough missiles for several such heavy strikes. We have enough determination and confidence to return our own after these blows,” Zelensky said in an evening address.
He said that electrical engineers and repair crews had already started working as emergency power outages were implemented across the country.
According to the local authorities, power was restored in Poltava and Sumy oblasts, and 40% of consumers in Kyiv have electricity.
Due to the power outages, the Kyiv metro system stopped until the end of the day, with underground stations operating only as shelters for civilians, the Kyiv City Hall reported.
Russian forces carried out their seventh large-scale attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Dec. 16, launching 76 missiles at the country, 60 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defense.
The previous major missile strikes on Ukraine took place on Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Oct. 31, Nov. 15, Nov. 23, and Dec. 5.
