The barrages further strain Ukraine’s already devastated energy infrastructure, which has suffered extensive damage during the war.
Russia launched an aerial assault on Ukraine early on Tuesday, targeting the capital, Kyiv, and multiple other regions with a combination of missiles and drones.
Ukraine’s air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3:00 am, with at least two explosions heard in Kyiv shortly after.
Another missile alert was issued at 8:00 am, followed by at least one explosion in the city. Missile debris landed in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, though local authorities reported no casualties or significant damage.
In the northeastern Sumy region, strikes near the city of Shostka caused considerable destruction.
Mayor Mykola Noha confirmed damage to 12 residential buildings and two educational facilities, along with the destruction of unspecified “social infrastructure objects.”
Ukraine’s air force reported additional missile and drone attacks in several other regions as Russian forces continued their ongoing campaign against the country’s infrastructure.
Approximately half of Ukraine’s energy systems have been destroyed during the war, leading to frequent and widespread power outages.
While Kyiv has received advanced air defence systems from Western allies to safeguard critical infrastructure, Russia has attempted to overwhelm these defences with simultaneous missile and drone strikes.
The attacks come amid uncertainty over the future trajectory of the nearly three-year war. US President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office next month, has pledged to end the conflict without specifying how, raising concerns over the continuation of vital US military support for Ukraine.
On Monday, outgoing President Joe Biden announced an additional $2.5 (€2.4 billion) billion in military aid in an urgent effort to bolster Kyiv’s defences before Trump takes office on 20 January.
Russia has maintained the upper hand this year, with its military gradually breaching Ukrainian defences in the east through a series of deliberate and sustained offensives.
Additional sources • AP
