In an escalated assault on Friday, Russia launched at least 76 missiles at different parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. If you’re just joining us, catch up on Friday’s developments in Moscow’s war on Ukraine here.
Where: After an official from the Ukrainian Presidential Office urged people to stay in shelters as air raid sirens sounded across the country on Friday, missile attacks were reported across Ukraine on Friday, including in Kyiv, Odesa, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv and Sumy.
Details on attack: Preliminary data from Friday’s wave of Russian missile attacks against Ukraine suggests at 76 missiles were fired, according to Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Of the 76 missiles, 72 were “cruise missiles” of the Kh-101, “Kalibr” and Kh-22 variety. The other four were “guided aircraft missiles,” Kh-59 and KH31P.
Targets: Russia has waged a series strikes against Ukraine since October that have damaged the energy system and civilian infrastructure, causing power outages in the freezing winter. Friday’s strikes were in the same vein. In northeastern Kharkiv, Oleh Syniehubv, head of the regional military administration, said the region had been hit “10 times” with “Russian S300” missiles and “critical infrastructure facilities” were hit in Chuhuiv district. CNN cannot independently verify the number of times Kharkiv was hit.
Defense: The country’s defenses shot down 60 of the 76 missiles from the barrage, Ukraine’s prime minister claimed at a meeting Friday.
That included 37 of the 40 missiles launched at Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian capital’s city administration. Leaders said the city had “withstood one of the largest missile attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion!”
Impact: All districts of Kyiv are experiencing water supply disruptions. Railway sections in parts of the country were impacted. Additionally, nine power generation facilities have been damaged, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko has said, without specifying locations.
Energy facilities in the east and south of Ukraine have been damaged, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on Telegram, and added that there will be emergency power outages in some parts of the country.
“Kharkiv city is without power,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov said, but added that some centers were open where residents could warm up and recharge their phones.
The strikes knocked out power on a number of railway sections, including northeastern Kharkiv and central Kirovohrad. Trains in the eastern region of Donetsk and central Dnipropetrovsk are also affected. Trains will continue to run under backup diesel locomotives, officials said.
Kryvyi Rih appears to be hit the hardest: At least two were killed and 8 were injured in Russian missile attacks in southern Ukrainian city, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih city military administration. The energy infrastructure facility was completely destroyed, and one missile had hit an apartment building, he added. There are emergency power cuts in place and rescue work is underway for people under rubble in the apartment building as well as the region’s mines.
Discussion about this post