Volodymyr Zelensky described the night Russian attack as one of the most massive and most cynical since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Ukrainian president announced on Facebook, quoted by Ukrinform, writes BTA.
„Currently, work is underway to eliminate the consequences of the Russian attack on the capital and cities in the Kiev region. Over 600 employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and police officers have been sent to Kiev, Brovary and Boryspil. Thank you to everyone who is helping our people. In Kiev and the region alone, a total of 30 residential buildings, a state school, a children's hospital and a kindergarten were damaged. Unfortunately, 15 deaths are known to have occurred in Kiev. "I express my condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones," Zelensky said.
According to him, the Russian attack was one of the most cynical, pre-planned and large-scale attacks. Various types of missiles and 168 drones were used in it.
“Today, Ukrainian servicemen shot down all Russian “Caliber“ missiles. In general, we manage to intercept 93% of cruise missiles, and the percentage of intercepted drones is also high. The biggest threat comes from ballistic missiles. And this depends entirely on the supply of missiles for the “Patriot“ systems for Ukraine and therefore from our partners“, he stressed.
“Ukrainian servicemen can act extremely effectively when the courage and professionalism of our people are supported by appropriate assistance from our partners“, his statement also said.
Earlier it was reported that Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 39 cruise missiles, 2 “Banderol“ missiles and 145 drones used by Russian forces in the attack that began last night.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced earlier today that the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant occupied by Russian armed forces has again been left without external power supply, DPA reported.
The reason for this is probably a damaged 330-kilowatt power line on the northern bank of the Dnieper River. An attempt to restore the connection was unsuccessful, the UN nuclear regulator said in Aix.
Due to ongoing hostilities, technicians were unable to immediately determine the cause of the failure, the IAEA said.
The diesel generators had automatically started up and were powering the Zaporizhzhia NPP's main safety systems.
The IAEA team at the site is continuing to assess the situation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned of the "extremely volatile" situation regarding nuclear safety, and called on the warring parties to exercise maximum restraint and ensure the plant's external power supply.
The Zaporizhzhia NPP, with six reactors, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
The facility came under Russian control shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and has been repeatedly shelled since then, DPA notes.
The Zaporizhzhia NPP's reactors are shut down but still require cooling, making the plant dependent on external power lines or diesel generators to maintain basic safety functions.