Ukraine Endures Deadly Missile Attacks

Deadly Nationwide Russian Missile Barrage Hits Ukraine

Ukraine endured a deadly nationwide Russian missile barrage targeting
energy facilities in Kyiv and other cities on Thursday, just hours before
President Volodymyr Zelensky was set to meet US President Joe Biden at the
White House.

Multiple Casualties and Injuries Reported

Five people died in the southern region of Kherson, while a 9-year-old
girl was among seven people injured in the latest attack on Kyiv. The
child and an 18-year-old woman were hospitalized after debris fell from an
infrastructure facility onto a residential building, according to Mayor
Vitalii Klitschko.

Officials called it “a terrible night for Kherson city,” with at least
three people killed and six injured, noting that apartment buildings and
cars were also damaged in Russian shelling on residential areas. Two people
were injured in the city of Kharkiv, where Russia launched six strikes in
the early hours of the morning, according to local officials. And at least
10 people were injured in overnight missile attacks on the city of
Cherkasy in central Ukraine.

Impact on Ukraine’s Power Infrastructure

The strikes marked the first time in six months that Russia has launched
attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure, according to the state energy
provider Ukrenergo, just as the country gears up for colder seasons that
will require more energy use for heating. Last year, Russia began a series
of intense attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in October. Ukrenergo
said the overnight missile attacks resulted in damage to power facilities
in western and central regions and caused blackouts in several areas.

Ukrainian Air Defenses and Ongoing Threat

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 36 of 43 missiles launched by Russia on
Thursday, Ukraine’s army chief said. But air raid alerts remain in place
in parts of the country, as some Ukrainian officials warn that the missile
threat is ongoing. The attacks came as the capital Kyiv crossed the
1,000-hour mark of air raid alarms since the start of the Russian
invasion, according to the head of the city’s military administration.

Government Appeals for Safety Measures

“It’s a restless morning,” Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor
Klymenko said Thursday, as he urged Ukrainians to follow the safety rules.

The air raid alarms, which frequently blare on loudspeakers throughout the
city and on residents’ cell phones, are so commonplace that government
officials have had to appeal to residents to continue to use bomb
shelters. “Do not neglect the air raid alarms,” the head of Kyiv City
Military Administration Serhii Popko said on Thursday, highlighting that a
year and a half of continuous alarms has taken a toll on the capital. “We
have survived it and we will overcome much more together.”

Call for International Action

The latest round of missile strikes comes after a contentious United
Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, where Zelensky argued
that removing Russia’s veto power “will be the first necessary step.” “It
is impossible to stop the war because all efforts are vetoed by the
aggressor,” Zelensky said during a speech at Wednesday’s UN Security
Council meeting. While allies have already imposed sanctions on Russia
since the start of the war, the Ukrainian president called for applying
preventative sanctions to countries that engaged in conflicts. “Anyone who
wants to start a war should see before their fatal mistake what exactly
they will lose when the war would start,” Zelensky said.

Meeting with US President Joe Biden

On Thursday, Zelensky travels to meet Biden, who is seeking to hear a
“battlefield perspective,” the White House said. It comes as the Ukrainian
president pleas for additional aid for his war-torn country and the US
Congress remains divided about how to proceed. Biden will also reiterate
US support “that we’re going to continue to be with them for as long as it
takes,” National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications
John Kirby said.

Read More of this Story at www.cnn.com – 2023-09-21 17:13:00

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