Russian drone and missile strikes wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv early Friday, damaged residential buildings, and triggered widespread blackouts across Ukraine, authorities said.
Separate attacks in the southeast also killed a child.
In the heart of the capital, rescue teams pulled more than 20 residents from a 17-story apartment building after flames engulfed the sixth and seventh floors.
Five people were hospitalized, while others received first aid at the scene, officials said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes targeted civilian and energy infrastructure at a time when Ukraine is preparing for dropping winter temperatures.
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described the attack as “one of the largest concentrated strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Friday’s attack knocked out power on both sides of the city, divided by the Dnipro River, while Ukraine’s largest electricity operator, DTEK, said repair work was already underway at multiple damaged thermal plants.
The energy sector has been a key battleground since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Each year, Russia has attempted to cripple the Ukrainian power grid ahead of the bitter winter season, aiming to erode public morale.
Ukraine’s winter runs from late October through March, with January and February being the coldest months.
Ukraine’s air force said the latest Russian barrage included 465 strike and decoy drones, as well as 32 missiles of various types.
Air defenses intercepted or jammed 405 drones and 15 missiles, it said.
In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, residential areas and energy sites were pounded with attack drones, missiles, and guided bombs, killing a 7-year-old boy and wounding his parents and others, military administration officials said.
A hydroelectric plant in the area was taken offline as a precaution, they said.
