Russia on Tuesday rained missiles on Ukraine’s two main cities, killing four people and injuring dozens while 250,000 consumers in the capital region were left without power in near-freezing temperatures.
Less than a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an escalation in strikes, Kyiv and Kharkiv faced devastating attacks. Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported one elderly woman died en route to the hospital, with 27 others injured. Ukraine’s interior minister, Igor Klymenko, confirmed two fatalities in the Kyiv region.
Following the strikes, Ukrenergo reported 250,000 consumers in Kyiv and nearby regions without electricity, leaving them in near-freezing temperatures of around three degrees Celsius (37.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
The head of Kharkiv Oleg Sinegubov said one woman was killed in the northeastern city in attacks denounced Tuesday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “Russian terror”.
Kyiv authorities said missiles caused fires in a supermarket building, houses and a market.
Strikes in Kharkiv wounded over 40 people and damaged multi-storey buildings, said the head of the city’s military administration, Oleg Sinegubov. The Ukrainian air force said Russia was launching Kinzhal missiles.
In a sign of growing concern, Poland on Tuesday scrambled four F-16 fighter jets to its border with Ukraine to protect its airspace.
Poland, a NATO and EU member, is a staunch ally of Ukraine as the Russian invasion nears its second anniversary.
In the latest round of lethal assaults on Ukraine last Friday, Poland reported the passage of a Russian missile through its airspace.
The Tuesday attacks followed an intensified conflict in recent days. President Putin labeled the Ukrainian assault on Belgorod as a “terrorist act” on Monday and promised reprisals.
Moscow also launched a drone onslaught on Ukraine on New Year’s Eve. As a new budget for support is held up in Washington, Ukraine is seeking assurances from its allies that military aid will persist.
“Putin is ringing in 2024 by launching missiles at Kyiv and around the country as millions of Ukrainians take shelter in freezing temps. Loud explosions in Kyiv this morning,” US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink wrote on X.
“It’s urgent and critical that we support Ukraine now — to stop Putin here.”
Kyiv mayor Klitschko reported multiple explosions and debris from downed missiles hitting the capital as residents were advised to stay in underground shelters.
In the Pechersk district, debris hit the roof of a nine-storey building and another building, the military administration said.
Fires also broke out in a supermarket and a warehouse measuring 2,000 square metres, the mayor said.
“As soon as the security situation allows it, we will definitely restore electricity to everyone,” the city’s military administration said.
In Kyiv’s Podil district, primary water pipes suffered damage, following a series of strikes. These attacks occurred in the aftermath of Russia’s December 29 offensive, which targeted several Ukrainian cities, claiming 39 lives.
Furthermore, on New Year’s Eve, Moscow conducted additional strikes on Ukrainian cities. Kyiv reported successfully thwarting a “record” number of drones launched by Russia during this assault.