Russia launched its 12th massive missile strike against Ukraine on Saturday, the Orthodox New Year’s Day. Most parts of the country have been affected. “Festive Saturday – and Pursuit of Terror (Russian). While Ukrainian children are enjoying sweets received yesterday, Russia is attacking residential buildings,” commented Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska.
In Dnipro, eastern Ukraine, at least 9 people were killed in a strike on an apartment building in the city. According to a latest report announced by Governor Valentin Reznitchenko, 64 civilians were injured, including twelve children. The strike reached the entrance of a nine-story building, many of which are now smoldering rubble. In the south, in Kryvyi Rig, one person was killed and another injured in the destruction of apartment buildings by a strike, according to an official report.
In the northern region of Sumy, a civilian received shrapnel during artillery and mortar fire from Russian territory, according to the Ukrainian presidency.
“Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by the Russian terror! The world must stop this evil,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted earlier on social media, adding that “clearing debris in Dnipro” continued.
Black out
Power cuts have also been ordered in “most regions” of Ukraine after the latest strikes, Energy Minister German Galushchenko announced on Saturday. “Today the enemy again attacked the country’s power generation facilities. There are attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhia, Vinnytsia and kyiv regions. Due to the shelling, emergency cuts have been decided in most areas,” Galushenko posted on Facebook.
“It’s a blackout here,” testified a BFMTV journalist present in Kharkiv, where it was completely dark. In kyiv, the capital, 28 residential buildings were damaged by Russian strikes in the morning, said its governor. No casualties have been reported so far but a mass missile strike was launched later in the day, reports The kyiv Independent.
In total, “the enemy carried out three air strikes and about fifty missile strikes during the day”, specified the staff of the Ukrainian army. “In addition, the occupiers launched 50 attacks with multiple rocket launchers.”
Another consequence of the strikes: in Moldova, missile debris was found near the village of Larga, in the north of the country. “The brutal war that Russia is waging against Ukraine has again affected Moldova”, launched its president Maia Sandu on Twitter, illustrating her message with photos of the debris, and adding “strongly” condemning these “violent attacks” Russians.