Kyiv: The latest in a sustained Russian campaign of massive drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure brought power outages and restrictions in all the country’s regions on Thursday, officials said, with the Ukrainian prime minister describing Moscow’s tactic as “systematic energy terror.”
The strikes, which were the latest in Russia’s almost daily attacks on the Ukrainian power grid as bitter winter temperatures approach, killed at least three people, including a 7-year-old girl, according to authorities. Children between 2 and 16 years of age were among the 17 injured.
Russia launched more than 650 drones and more than 50 missiles of various types in the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian cities use centralised public infrastructure to run water, sewage and heating systems, and blackouts stop them from working.
Months of attacks have aimed to erode Ukrainian morale.