KYIV (Reuters) – Russian drone and missile strikes damaged energy infrastructure across Ukraine on Thursday in the latest major attack on the country’s civilian energy system, the Ukrainian energy ministry said.
The energy ministry said the attack injured three workers at one energy facility and cut power for some consumers. Ukrainian energy firm DTEK said that one of its thermal power plants had also been seriously damaged.
Kyiv says Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this spring have knocked out half the country’s power generating capacity and forced rolling blackouts.
The Ukrainian air force said it shot down five out of nine missiles and all 27 drones launched by Russia over 10 Ukrainian regions during Thursday’s attack.
The military said Russia mostly targeted eastern Ukraine, specifically Dnipropetrovsk region.
Dnipropetrovsk’s governor said the air force shot down five drones and four missiles over his region. Three men were injured in the attack, which also damaged seven homes, he said.
Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said Ukraine’s air defence shot down all air weapons on their approach to the capital with no damage or injuries reported in the city.
Air defences also downed four drones over the central region of Vinnytsia where debris damaged a critical infrastructure object, the regional governor said.
Russia says energy infrastructure is a legitimate military target and denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.
(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Stephen Coates)
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