On Friday, December 16, Russia launched another major missile strike across Ukraine. That’s a ninth round of attacks that primarily target the country’s energy infrastructure. Russia fired 74 missiles, of which 60 were shot down by Ukraine’s air defenses, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said. “The strike stands out from previous attacks because [Russia] launched cruise missiles Kh-101 and Kh-555 not only from the Caspian Sea, but also from an air base in Saratov region, near Engels that is home to its strategic bombers Tu-95MS,” Ukraine’s Air Force said. Russian forces fired cruise missiles from a frigate in the Black Sea and from bombers over the Azov Sea. Its tactical aircraft, possibly Su-35, fired guided missiles Kh-59 and Kh-31P, the statement said.
The energy system lost more than half of its capacity due to the latest strikes, national power grid operator Ukrenergo said. Ukraine’s regions in the north, south, and center suffered the most damage. Transmission power lines and facilities that generate electricity came under attack, the company said.
Russia unleashed on Kyiv one of the biggest barrage of strikes since the invasion. “About 40 missiles entered the city’s airspace. The air defense forces destroyed 37 of them,” the Kyiv city military administration said. The city’s territorial defense mobile group shot down one of the missiles with a machine gun. Kyiv’s mayor Vitaliy Klychko said the Russian missiles hit three targets – two on the left bank of the city, and one on the right bank. As of Friday evening, only one-third of the residents had water and heat, and about 40 per cent of people had power, Klychko said. Subway traffic was stopped and will not resume Friday due to power system damage, the mayor explained.
In Kryvyi Rih, in Dnipropetrovska region, three people were killed and 13 more injured in a missile strike on Friday. One of the rockets hit an apartment building. “A 64-year-old woman and a young married couple were killed. Their little son is still under the rubble. Thirteen people were injured, including four children who are all in hospital. A 7-year-old girl is in a grave condition,” head of the Dnipropetrovska regional military administration Valentyn Reznichenko said.
One of the biggest barrages of missiles hit Zaporizhzhia region. In just 30 minutes, the Russian forces fired 21 rockets on the city of Zaporizhzhia and territorial communities of the region. They used S-300 missiles, the Office of the Prosecutor General said quoting preliminary reports. There were no casualties.
After a Russian attack on Friday, Kharkiv lost power, and the subway traffic was halted.
Ukrainian infrastructure remains under russian attack. Ukraine in Flames #281
Russia keeps acting like the terrorist state it is and shelling Ukrainian civil infrastructure. Despite continuous brutal and violent attacks, Ukrainians gracefully withstand disruptions of electricity, heating, and running water, continuing the fight for our freedom. Watch Ukraine in flames #281 to hear from state representatives of the Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine regarding the damage to the infrastructure and human losses caused by russian terror.
Guests:
- Oleksandr Lomako, Secretary of the City Council of Chernihiv, Ukraine
- Hanna Zamazeeva, Head of the Regional Council of Mykolaiv, Ukraine
- Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine
