JAKARTA - Civilians are again threatened without electricity and water supply, after Russia again launched a missile strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
At least 17 missiles hit the southeastern city of Zaporizhia, an attack that lasted for an hour, the heaviest attack since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, local officials said.
National network operator Ukrenergo said drone and missile attacks at power plants and transmission facilities at night and during peak hours Friday morning, damaged energy facilities in eastern, southern and western Ukraine.
There was no immediate news of death, but by Synehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region of northwest Ukraine, said seven people were injured.
"Kharkiv is still under enemy missile attack. Recently there was one more explosion. We got an attack on the energy generation infrastructure," he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
The latest attack came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Europe, including a meeting with the King and British Prime Minister, having dinner with French Presidents and German Chancellors, to attending a meeting of the European Union, aimed at securing weapons assistance, including fighter jets.
"Russia has attacked Ukrainian cities throughout the night & morning," President Mykhailo Podolyak's adviser wrote on Twitter.
"Quite talk & political doubts. Only a quick key decision: long-range missiles, fighter jets, operational supply logistics for Ukraine."
At least three explosions rocked Kyiv and the surrounding area, with officials saying the air defense system was operating in the capital and in other parts of the country.
The missile debris damaged private homes, two cars and power grids in the Holosiivskiy district of the capital, the city government said.
Mayor Kyiv urged residents to stay in shelters as air alerts continue, more than three hours after starting.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Ukraine's largest city, Kharkiv, confirmed infrastructure facilities there had been hit, warning of possible blackouts as a result. About 150,000 people in Kharkiv were left without power, officials said.
Attacks on infrastructure also hit Khmelnitskyi in western Ukraine and the Dniprop layoffs region in the middle of the country, regional officials said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said two Russian Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea flew through Moldovan airspace and members of NATO Romania before entering Ukraine.
Later, Moldova confirmed its airspace had been violated by Russian missiles. Moscow did not immediately comment, while the Romanian Ministry of Defense said it could not confirm the report.
Separately, Ukrainska media outlet Pravda quoted an air force spokesman as saying Ukraine could shoot down missiles but did not, because it did not want to harm civilians in foreign countries.
Air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told Ukrainian television Ukraine the Ukrainian air defenses had shot down five of the seven drones, as well as five of the six Kalibr missiles launched into Ukraine.
The air force also said 35 S-300 missiles were launched in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhizhia regions. Ukrainian air defenses were unable to shoot down this type of missile.
Officials said they ordered blackouts across the country following attacks on infrastructure.
Russia has carried out repeated waves of attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent months, sometimes causing millions of people without a supply of light, heating, or water during winter.
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