At least five people have been killed in a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
The Ukrainian president said Russia launched more than 50 missiles and around 500 attack drones – with the regions of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odesa, and Kirovohrad all targeted.
Four people were reportedly killed in the western region of Lviv, which borders Poland, where an industrial park was set ablaze. One person in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia was also killed, the region’s governor said.
Mr Zelenskyy said around 10 people were injured in the strikes. Many civilians have also been left without power, including more than 73,000 in Zaporizhzhia.
Russia, which has not commented on the attack, has stepped up strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid in recent weeks as winter approaches.
Kyiv’s energy ministry said the Russian strike damaged equipment at an energy company that serves people in Zaporizhzhia and the Chernihiv region is suffering from hourly power outages.
Mr Zelenskyy added: “The Russians once again targeted our infrastructure – everything that ensures normal life for our people.
“We need more protection and faster implementation of all defence agreements, especially on air defence, to deprive this aerial terror of any meaning.
“A unilateral ceasefire in the skies is possible – and it is precisely that which could open the way to real diplomacy.
“America and Europe must act to make Putin stop.”
The attack comes days after Russia launched a massive bombardment on Ukraine’s gas production facilities earlier this week. On Friday, Ukraine’s natural gas facilities run by the state-owned Naftogaz Group also suffered the biggest attack since the war started in February 2022.
Poland scrambles aircraft
Poland’s armed forces were forced to scramble jets to protect its airspace during the attack by Russia on Ukraine.
“Polish and allied aircraft are operating in our airspace, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of readiness,” Poland’s operational command said in a post on X.
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Lithuania’s airport in Vilnius was closed for several hours overnight after reports of a possible series of balloons heading towards the airport late on Saturday.
Some NATO members are on high alert after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones in its airspace last month. Drone sightings have also led to the temporary closure of various airports in Denmark and Germany, causing chaos in European aviation.
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Lithuania’s busiest airport in Vilnius was closed for several hours overnight after reports of a possible series of balloons heading towards the airport late on Saturday.
The country’s public broadcaster LRT cited the head of the country’s National Crisis Management as saying that 13 balloons were heading towards the country’s busiest airport. It was not immediately clear who launched the balloons or what kind they were.
Around 30 flights and nearly 6,000 passengers were impacted by the temporary restrictions.
