It has been a “difficult night” in Ukraine as Russian forces launched a barrage of missiles on several regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook message on Thursday.
The Ukrainian president claims Russian missiles hit “critical infrastructure and residential buildings” across Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zhytomyr and the Vinnytsia regions.
“Unfortunately, there are injured and dead. My condolences to the families,” Zelensky said.
This comes after Ukrainian officials say 81 missiles were fired by the Russian military, as the conflict escalated overnight into Thursday morning.
Zelensky said the Russian assault was “an attempt to intimidate Ukrainians again, returning to their miserable tactics. The occupiers can only terrorize civilians. That’s all they can do. But it won’t help them. They won’t avoid responsibility for everything they have done.”
Following the strikes 15% of the capital went without electricity temporarily, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said earlier on Telegram.
Zelensky has since confirmed that “all services” are now working. “The energy system is being restored,” he added.
At least three people were injured in the Russian strike on Ukraine’s capital, while in Lviv at least five people have been confirmed dead, officials have said.
