Ukraine denounced “massive” strikes by more than 120 Russian missiles this Thursday morning targeting several regions, including the capital kyiv.
A new salvo intended to destroy the energy infrastructure of the country in the middle of winter, with the key to serious energy shortages and millions of Ukrainians plunged into the cold and the darkness.
“The enemy is attacking Ukraine on several fronts, with cruise missiles fired from planes and ships,” the Air Force announced on social media.
“More than 120 missiles were launched to destroy critical civilian infrastructure and kill civilians en masse,” added Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podoliak on Twitter.
29.12.22.
120+ missiles over 🇺🇦 launched by the "evil Russian world" to destroy critical infrastructure & kill civilians en masse.
We're waiting for further proposals from "peacekeepers" about "peaceful settlement", "security guarantees for RF" & undesirability of provocations.
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) December 29, 2022
The army announced for its part that it had succeeded in shooting down 54 of the 69 missiles fired, according to preliminary data.
In the northeast, on the border with Russia, near Kharkiv, shelling also targeted "critical infrastructure", according to Governor Oleg Syniehoubov, adding that "the toll of destruction and casualties was increasing. be established”.
On the side of Kherson, a first assessment reports two wounded.
Sixteen missiles shot down over kyiv
In kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported three injuries who were all hospitalized, including a 14-year-old girl.
He also warned his constituents that the city, already very affected by power cuts, may be faced with new "power outages".
“Charge your phones, and other devices.
Stock up on water,” he wrote on Telegram.
About "40% of the inhabitants" of kyiv are currently without electricity after the strikes.
At the same time, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses managed to shoot down all of the 16 Russian missiles that targeted the capital kyiv, assured on Telegram the head of the military administration of the city, Serhiï Popko.
"The fragments of the downed missiles damaged three houses and a car in the Darnytsky district, an industrial enterprise in the Golossiivsky district and a playground in the Pechersky district", he added, however, that is how the three people were reportedly injured.
The West was not spared either
The western part of Ukraine, further from the front, is however regularly the victim of bombardments.
Lviv, the big city in western Ukraine, was 90% without electricity Thursday after these new bombings.
“90% of the city is without electricity (…) The trams and trolleybuses no longer run in the city, there could be water cuts”, in the words of the mayor, Andriï Sadovy, on Telegram.
In Odessa, a major port in southwestern Ukraine, 21 Russian missiles were shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense, according to Governor Maksym Marchenko.
But others have hit their target, so there are "emergency power cuts" in the city, he said.
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, 200 km from the Polish border, a missile even landed in a house without exploding, the chief of staff of the presidency, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, reported on Telegram.
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, a missile hit a house but didn't explode.
https://t.co/WDF8uakKBi pic.twitter.com/M93LzC6gTU
— SUSPILNE NEWS 📰 (@suspilne_news) December 29, 2022
After a series of military setbacks on the ground in late summer and fall, the Kremlin changed tactics and in October began regularly hitting transformers and power stations with salvoes of dozens of missiles and drones. from Ukraine.
kyiv is therefore calling on its Western allies to increase its military aid more quickly to provide the country with more anti-aircraft defense systems.