Days after Russia blamed Ukraine for the drone strikes, several explosions rocked Kyiv. (file)
Kyiv:
Ukraine suffered a widespread blackout on Monday after Ukrainian officials said another “massive” Russian missile attack on energy facilities and water supplies to 80 percent of Kyiv residents was cut.
Ukraine’s military said on Telegram that “more than 50” cruise missiles were fired at targets across the country early Monday.
“From 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) on 31 October, Russian occupiers carried out several waves of missile attacks against critical infrastructure in Ukraine,” the military said, adding that “44 missiles” had been shot down. was.
Days after Russia blamed Ukraine for drone attacks on its Crimean fleet in the Black Sea, several explosions rocked the capital Kyiv.
“Currently, due to the state of emergency in Kyiv, 80 percent of consumers live without water supply,” the city’s mayor Vitaly Klitschko said on Telegram.
“Engineers are also working to restore electricity to 350,000 homes in Kyiv that were left without electricity,” he said.
At least five explosions were heard in the city between 8:00 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. local time, according to AFP reporters.
Prime Minister Denis Shyamal said there had been power cuts in “hundreds” of urban settlements in seven Ukrainian regions.
“Russian terrorists have again launched a massive attack against power installations,” said Ukraine’s deputy head of state, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
‘Winter’s ahead’
Near one of the target sites north of Kyiv, a soldier told AFP that three missiles had struck.
“It’s dangerous here because there could be more attacks,” said the constable at a closed intersection.
In a nearby town, 39-year-old Mila Ryabova told AFP she had woken up to between eight and 10 “powerful explosions”.
“We were preparing our daughter for school with our family, but now there is no electricity in our house and school,” said Ryabova, a translator.
“I’m not afraid of anything. (Some people) are still in shelters, but not us.
“But we are worrying and talking about opportunities to go abroad, because there is a severe winter ahead. We may not have electricity, heat supply. It can be difficult to handle, especially with a small child with.”
Similar attacks targeted infrastructure across Ukraine, including Lviv in the west, Zaporizhzhya in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast.
The Moldovan government said a Russian missile shot down by Ukrainian air defenses hit a village in northern Moldova on Monday, but without injuries.
The country’s interior ministry said the missile hit the village of Naslavsia, bordering Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said on Twitter: “Russia fights civilians instead of fighting on the battlefield.”
grain deal
Monday’s attack comes after Russia withdrew from a landmark agreement that allowed vital grain shipments through the Maritime Security Corridor.
The July deal to unlock grain exports signed between warring nations Russia and Ukraine – and brokered by Turkey and the United Nations – is key to mitigating the global food crisis caused by the conflict.
But Russia announced on Saturday it would withdraw from the deal after accusing Kyiv of a “massive” drone strike on its Black Sea fleet, which Ukraine called a “false excuse”.
Sevastopol in Crimea, linked to Moscow, has been targeted several times in recent months and serves as the fleet’s headquarters and a logistics hub for operations in Ukraine.
Despite Russia’s decision to pull out of the deal, two cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products left Ukrainian ports on Monday, according to a maritime traffic website.
According to the Joint Coordination Center that oversees the agreement, twelve ships were due to leave Ukraine on Monday and four were to leave for the country.
Amir Abdullah, UN coordinator of the Black Sea Grains Initiative, said on Twitter: “Civilian cargo ships can never be military targets or hostages. Food must flow.”
In his evening address on Sunday, Zelensky said “more than two million tons of food” was at sea, but was stalled by Russia’s actions.
“It is an absolutely transparent intention of Russia to roll back the threat of mass famine in Africa and Asia,” he said.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)