Russia unleashed its 10th mass missile strike targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure in the afternoon of Jan. 14.
The nationwide attack damaged critical infrastructure in several oblasts, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The hits caused emergency blackouts in multiple regions.
The strike also hit a nine-story apartment building in Dnipro city, killing at least five people and injuring dozens, according to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko. Six children were among the wounded, the official said earlier.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine's critical infrastructure with hundreds of missiles and drones since Oct. 10, killing dozens of civilians and severely damaging the country's energy system.
Russia admitted that Ukraine's energy infrastructure is among its primary targets. According to the Geneva Conventions, targeting vital public infrastructure constitutes a war crime.
The air raid alert went off in all Ukrainian oblasts but occupied Luhansk Oblast and Crimea between 2-3 p.m. on Jan. 14. It is still ongoing.
Explosions were reported in at least 10 Ukrainian regions across the country, such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv, and Odesa oblasts.
Local authorities reported that air defense was downing Russian missiles in Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts.
Two Russian missiles hit a critical infrastructure site in Kharkiv Oblast, leading to emergency power cut-offs, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Explosions were also reported in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast of the country, leading to power outages in most of the city’s districts and the metro’s temporary halt, according to multiple media reports.
The attack also hit a critical infrastructure facility in the western Lviv Oblast, reported Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi. He did not provide further details but said there might be interruptions in the power and water supply.
Another energy facility was hit in the western Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, according to the oblast's governor Svitlana Onyschuk. A fire broke out at the site following the attack, Onyschuk said, adding that there were no casualties.
Odesa authorities earlier said the missiles were launched “from air and sea.” Earlier in the day, Southern Operational Command reported that five Russian missile carriers with a total of 36 Kalibr cruise missiles were detected in the Black Sea.
During the attack, President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Russia continues to fight against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.
“We will fight back," he said.
Earlier in the day, Russia launched a missile strike on Kyiv, damaging some undisclosed infrastructure in the city and a residential building outside the city.
Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo said it had introduced emergency power cuts in 11 Ukrainian oblasts following the attack. The operator also put consumption limits across all Ukrainian oblasts to manage the strain on the system.
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