Russian attacks hit Kyiv and Kharkiv, energy sector damaged

Early Tuesday morning, Russian forces attacked Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other Ukrainian cities, causing fires and further damage to energy infrastructure, according to local officials. Four people were injured in the attacks.

The strikes came at a time when further trilateral talks on resolving the nearly four-year war are scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates.

In Kyiv, where nighttime temperatures dropped to nearly minus 20 degrees Celsius, witnesses reported explosions after midnight. According to city authorities, the army deployed missiles and drones. The attacks caused damage in five districts, hitting three apartment buildings and a kindergarten.

Videos appeared on social media showing a fire in an apartment on the upper floors of a residential block. The air raid alert lasted more than five hours.

A series of massive attacks on Kyiv since New Year's Day has led to power and heating outages in hundreds of apartment buildings. Emergency services were still trying to restore heating systems on Monday.

In Kharkiv, the attacks targeted energy infrastructure. The city had to pump out coolant from 820 apartment buildings connected to a single thermal power plant. Power outages were also reported in the cities of Izium and Balakliya, and apartment buildings in Sumy were also affected. The attacks took place during discussions about a moratorium on attacks on energy targets.

(reuters, max)