Russia continues to relentlessly attack Ukraine with drones and missiles. Civilian buildings were again hit in the capital Kiev overnight. Authorities report at least ten dead, including children.
At least ten people have been killed in Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kiev, including two children. According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 45 people have been injured. There are fears that more victims may be buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Russian attacks continued into the early hours of Thursday morning, as rescue teams searched for people buried under the rubble. The European Union mission was also hit.
"Russia systematically targets residential buildings"
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the attacks on Kiev are Russia's response to diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. "Russia is choosing ballistic war over negotiations", Zelensky wrote on the X platform. "It has decided to continue killing instead of ending the war."
Ukraine expects a reaction from other countries, Zelensky also said, calling in particular on China and Russia-friendly EU member Hungary to take a clear position.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko had previously reported a "massive attack" on the capital, which caused damage in five districts of the city. Even a five-story building collapsed. The military governor of the capital, Timur Tkachenko, accused Russia of systematically targeting residential buildings. Almost 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city center, and thousands of windows were broken, Tkachenko said. He said Russia used drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in its attack. Explosions also occurred in Sumy in the north and in Dnipro and Zaporizhia in the south. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had sent a total of 598 drones and 31 missiles.
Attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure are increasing
According to data from Ukraine, Russian air strikes a day earlier had caused targeted damage to the country's energy system. The attacks were aimed at weakening the Ukrainian energy system before the start of the heating season, the statement said.
Over the past three military winters, Russia has repeatedly carried out targeted strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities.
The Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure may be linked to a series of Ukrainian attacks on Russia's oil and gas industry. According to its own data, the Ukrainian army also attacked oil refining facilities on Thursday night.
According to Ukrainian media reports, the attacks on Russian refineries are already having consequences: Russia has lost 17 percent of its oil refining capacity, there are fuel shortages in many regions, and prices are rising significantly.