US President Joe Biden condemned massive Russian attack on the energy network of Ukraine yesterday, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Seven people were killed in the biggest airstrike since Russia's full-scale invasion of the neighboring country two and a half years ago. Ukraine announced that it shot down 102 of the 127 missiles fired by Russia and 99 of the 109 drones launched.
Biden called the attack "outrageous". The United States will continue to supply Ukraine with the equipment it needs to repair and maintain its energy grid, he pledged in a statement after power and water outages hit many parts of Ukraine, including parts of the capital, Kyiv.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, the increase in Russian attacks is a deliberate tactic to deprive the people of the country of electricity and heating next winter.
A little earlier, NATO condemned the "irresponsible actions" of Russia after its drone entered the airspace of Poland, a member of the alliance.
At least one person was killed and five may be under the debris after a Russian missile hit a civilian building in Kryvyi Rih, local authorities said today, as quoted by Reuters.
The agency makes the caveat that it cannot independently verify the information, and recalls Russia's claims that it only targets military sites.
Kryvoy Rog is located in the central Dnipropetrovsk region. The hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is often taken at gunpoint by the Russian army.
The Ukrainian armed forces, meanwhile, reported a new Russian airstrike this night in the Kyiv region. Air defenses in the region have been activated.
NATO condemned the "irresponsible actions" of Russia after the entry of a drone sent by it into the airspace of Poland, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Poland's military said what appeared to be an unmanned aerial vehicle was intercepted over the country during a massive Russian air attack on neighboring Ukraine. The object has not yet been discovered, and it is certainly not a rocket, she added.
NATO has strongly condemned the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
Moscow claims it is only targeting military sites.
"Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, fragments of Russian drones and missiles have been found on allied territory several times," NATO spokeswoman Farah Dahlala reminded. "Although we have no information indicating a deliberate attack by Russia against allies, these actions are irresponsible and potentially dangerous,", she stressed.
The removal of restrictions on the use of Western weapons against the Russian military, participating in the aggression against Ukraine, will strengthen Ukrainian self-defense, save the lives of many people and reduce the destruction in the country, wrote on the social platform "X" EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell, quoted by Ukrinform and BTA.
According to Borel, Russia has stepped up its aggression by resuming massive attacks across Ukraine targeting civilian infrastructure, including hydroelectric plants, resulting in casualties.
"Ukraine needs air defense now", the head of European diplomacy emphasized.
Borrell said he would discuss the matter with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and EU foreign ministers at Thursday's informal meeting of the European Foreign Policy Council.
In a fire at one of the largest Russian oil refineries - in the Siberian city of Omsk, one person died and 6 were injured and taken to hospital for treatment, Reuters and DPA reported, quoted by BTA, citing local authorities.
The fire at the Omsk oil refinery has been completely extinguished, TASS reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies and the Liquidation of the Consequences of Natural Disasters.
The oil refinery reported that it was operating normally and production was not affected.
The fire in the production workshop of the refinery has been brought under control after an area of about 1,000 square meters was burnt. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The refinery in Omsk belongs to the oil company "Gazprom Neft" - a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant "Gazprom".
In recent months, fires have been breaking out in Russian refineries, which are often caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, DPA notes. But given the distance of about 3,000 kilometers between the city of Omsk and Ukraine, this seems unlikely in this case.