At least 10 people were hurt in a new wave of Russian missile and drone strikes that inflicted more damage on Ukraine’s power network, in an attack that Kyiv called a challenge to Nato after two rockets allegedly crossed the airspace of alliance member Romania.
Bucharest denied that the missiles flew over its territory, while Moldova summoned Moscow’s ambassador to its foreign ministry to explain an “unacceptable violation of our airspace by a Russian missile”.
“Russia launched another massive missile attack on Ukraine’s territory,” said Gen Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander of the Ukrainian armed forces.
“The enemy fired 71 cruise missiles … up to 35 S-300 missiles, used seven Shahed attack drones. The assets of the armed forces of Ukraine shot down 61 enemy cruise missiles and five drones.”
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As Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy stopped off in Poland on his way home from talks in London and Brussels, he said the “targets were civilians and civilian infrastructure. Unfortunately, there were strikes. Unfortunately, there are victims.
“Several Russian missiles flew through the airspace of Moldova and Romania. Another proof that terror does not know and will never know any borders. Another proof that the protection of Ukraine is the protection of the whole of Europe,” he added.
“Today’s missiles are a challenge to Nato and collective security. This is terror that can and must be stopped.”
Romania’s defence ministry said a rocket crossed “the airspace of Ukraine and Moldova and re-entered Ukrainian airspace without infringing Romania’s airspace. The closest point of the [missile] to Romanian airspace was recorded by radar systems to be almost 35km northeast of the border.” The Kremlin said it had no information on the incident.
Ukrainian officials in the eastern Kharkiv region said eight people were injured in a salvo of Russian S-300 missiles – large air-defence rockets that are inaccurate and extremely destructive when used against ground targets.
State energy firm Ukrenergo said two of its workers were hurt during missile strikes that damaged four power stations, causing more blackouts on an electricity network that Russia has repeatedly targeted with rocket and drone strikes throughout the winter.
“The energy system of Ukraine suffered the 14th massive missile attack today and the 16th attack by enemy drones overnight. Russia’s main target was once again power plants and high-voltage network facilities,” Ukrenergo added.
“There is damage in eastern, western and southern regions of Ukraine. The most difficult situation is currently in Kharkiv region. Now emergency shutdowns are taking place … and the deficit in the energy system is significant.”
Kyiv and its allies say Russia’s deliberate destruction of civilian critical infrastructure is a war crime, but Moscow claims the national grid is a legitimate target because it powers Ukraine’s military facilities and command structure.
Mr Zelenskiy is urging Ukraine’s western allies to supply it urgently more heavy weapons – including tanks, long-range missiles and fighter jets – to stop Russian attacks and eventually expel the Kremlin’s invasion force from its territory.
“Ukraine has indeed requested to also help with fighter jets,” said the Netherlands’ defence minister Kajsa Ollongren. “We always take all of Ukraine’s requests very seriously. They are fighting that war, they are being attacked by Russia. But fighter jets, that is very complex.”
Kyiv says Russia is preparing for a major new offensive that may already have started in the partly occupied Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
“They have been trying to identify weak points in our defences. And now they’ve concentrated maximum efforts in the direction of Kreminna,” said Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai, referring to a Russian-controlled town on the frontline.
“Our lads are constantly fighting off many attacks there … So the situation is tough, but fully under the control of our armed forces,” he added.
