Arabic version: ضربات روسية تقطع الكهرباء عن 600 ألف شخص في أوكرانيا
According to BBC News, at least 600,000 people in Ukraine have been left without electricity after overnight Russian missile and drone strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky said critical energy infrastructure was hit in Kyiv, the surrounding capital region and the north-eastern city of Kharkiv. Officials said three people were killed in Kyiv.
Russia said its “massive” strikes targeted communications and energy facilities used by Ukraine’s military. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 39 ballistic and cruise missiles and 128 drones overnight, with four missiles and 115 drones shot down. It was the second consecutive night of missile strikes on Kyiv, where ballistic missiles hit targets before air raid sirens could be sounded.
The attacks occurred despite US President Donald Trump’s statement on Sunday that an energy ceasefire was in place between Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky has said Ukraine is ready to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries and other energy facilities if Moscow does the same. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine did not deserve the respite that a ceasefire would bring.
Separately, Zelensky adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said speed restrictions introduced overnight on SpaceX’s Starlink terminals had disrupted Ukrainian battlefield missions. He said the limits, set at 100mph (160km/h), had affected a number of operations. A Ukrainian defence ministry source told the BBC that restrictions on connectivity above 160km/h had been detected and were complicating logistics, unmanned systems and middle-strike missions, while the cause was investigated. SpaceX has not commented.
Zelensky is due to meet UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Downing Street on Wednesday to discuss accelerating air-defence supplies to Kyiv. Ukraine relies on US satellite systems to track Russian missiles, issue alerts and attempt interceptions. Russia said it had shot down 902 Ukrainian drones overnight over several regions, including Moscow and Crimea.
