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Dozens of Russian airstrikes rocked Ukraine across its territory on December 16, the second large-scale in days. kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa are among the hardest-hit regions, with power operator Ukrenergo declaring an emergency after supply capacity fell by more than 50%. Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukrainian forces of a shelling in one of the Moscow-controlled regions, in Lugansk, that killed 11 people.
Explosions, firing from Ukraine’s air defense systems and alarms resounded across the country on December 16.
In one of the biggest attacks launched by Moscow since the war began almost 10 months ago, more than 70 Russian missiles were launched across the country, including kyiv, the capital, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhia in the south, and Kharkiv, in the south. in the northeast.
Thousands of people rushed to metro stations to seek refuge deep underground, as Ukrainian forces claimed they shot down 60 of the at least 76 missiles fired by Moscow.
kyiv authorities said the city withstood “one of the biggest rocket attacks” since Russian forces invaded the country and confirmed that air defenses shot down almost everything that entered the city’s airspace.
But Russia managed to hit the country’s power grid facilities and at least two civilians were killed.
Energy emergency declared in Ukraine
Faced with the “colossal” damage, as described by the mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, left by the new avalanche of projectiles from the invading troops, Ukrenergo, the country’s energy operator, declared an emergency.
The company explained that it was necessary to produce service cuts throughout the nation, after the assaults caused a loss of more than 50% in supply capacity.
In addition, he warned that this time it would take longer to restore electricity compared to previous assaults that have been taking place intermittently since October, given the magnitude of the damage.
“Considering that this is already the ninth wave of missile attacks on power facilities, power supply restoration may take longer than before,” the operator said in a statement.
Ukrenergo added that for the repair “priority will be given to critical infrastructure facilities: hospitals, water supply infrastructure, heating supply facilities and wastewater treatment plants.”
For two months now, the Kremlin military has strategically hit the networks that provide electricity and water to the population with their projectiles, and although it claims that it seeks to weaken the Ukrainian Army, kyiv and its Western allies accuse Moscow of trying to freeze to death. to civilians at times when temperatures are below freezing.
Russia accuses Ukraine of killing 11 people in a bombing raid
In the midst of the avalanche of Russian missiles, the military imposed by the Kremlin in the Lugansk region, east of the invaded country, accused the Ukrainian Army of carrying out a bombardment, causing the death of at least 11 people.
In addition, the Russians say that around 20 residents are missing and another two dozen were injured after a building was hit by Ukrainian missiles in the early hours of Friday.
The airstrike occurred in the town of Lantrativka, a settlement near the Russian border, which is controlled by the invading troops.
So far the information has not been independently verified and kyiv has not ruled on it.
Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed administrator of the region, called the assault “barbaric” and accused Volodymyr Zelensky’s army of attacking residential neighborhoods, schools and business districts in an attempt to “kill as many people as possible.”
According to the version of the officials installed there by Vladimir Putin, the kyiv troops would have attacked with HIMARS rockets made in the United States.
Since Putin ordered what he calls a “special military operation” to “denazify” the neighboring country, thousands of Ukrainian civilians have died. And more than 14 million people remain forcibly displaced. Among them, 6.5 million internally evicted, detailed last week before the UN Security Council, the Coordinator for Humanitarian and Emergency Aid, Martin Griffiths, who described the ongoing hostilities as a “senseless war”. .
With Reuters, AP and local media
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