Russian strikes cut power in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv

Russian missile and drone attacks caused power outages in large parts of Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.

The mayor of the city, Vitali Klitschko, stated that residents of the eastern regions were plunged into darkness and faced water outages, and that nine people were injured.

Meanwhile, a seven-year-old child was killed in a separate Russian drone strike in the Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast of the country, according to Ukraine’s regional head.

While Moscow has stepped up attacks on energy facilities in recent weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of trying to “create chaos and apply psychological pressure.”

Ukraine’s Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said Russia “inflicted a massive strike” on facilities across the country overnight on Thursday, adding that repair teams were working to restore power.

In Kiev, energy infrastructure and apartment buildings were hit by a wave of strikes.

Klitschko said five of the nine people injured in the attacks in the capital were hospitalized.

Images of firefighters extinguishing a fire in a 10-storey building were published by Ukrainian state emergency services.

Zaporizhia’s regional head, Ivan Fedorov, said the city was subjected to intense attacks throughout the night. A seven-year-old child died and three people were injured.

The attacks followed overnight air strikes on the region, part of which Russia now controls.

All of Ukraine is on alert for hypersonic Kinzhal missile attacks, which are harder to detect.

Zelensky told reporters on Thursday that Russia was deliberately trying to destroy the country’s energy network, with attacks already disrupting gas facilities.

He said energy workers and officials were preparing for new attacks.