Russia fires new waves of missiles at Ukraine and hits energy infrastructure

Russia launched caller waves of rocket attacks crossed Ukraine connected Saturday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 5 radical successful a onslaught connected an flat artifact successful the eastbound metropolis of Dnipro.

A fig of different cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, were besides hit.

Much of Ukraine is present nether an exigency blackout aft missiles deed powerfulness infrastructure successful respective cities.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Challengers, the British army's main conflict tank, would assistance Kyiv's forces "push Russian troops back".

Russia responded by saying that providing much weapons to Ukraine would pb to intensified Russian operations and much civilian casualties.

Later connected Saturday - a time erstwhile Ukrainians observe the Old (or Orthodox) New Year - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian attacks connected civilian targets could beryllium stopped lone if Ukraine's Western partners supplied indispensable weapons.

"What is needed for this? Those weapons which are successful the depots of our partners and which our soldiers are waiting for truthful much", helium said successful his nightly video address, adding that his forces changeable down much than 20 retired of 30 Russian missiles fired astatine Ukraine.

The onslaught successful Dnipro deed the entranceway of a nine-storey building, turning respective floors into smouldering rubble, and leaving astir 40 injured , including 7 children, Ukrainian officials said, successful what is apt to beryllium the worst onslaught successful months.

A sizeable assemblage gathered to ticker the rescue effort astatine the tract of the strike, portion others joined rescue workers successful a hopeless hunt for survivors. There were urgent calls, quality chains of volunteers clearing rubble and torch beams piercing heavy clouds of particulate and smoke.

In his address, Mr Zelensky said debris clearance successful Dnipro would proceed each night: "We are warring for each person, each life."

There is nary accusation yet connected wherefore the flat artifact was the entity of specified devastation, arsenic it is immoderate region from the nearest powerfulness facility.

On a time erstwhile Russia seemed intent, erstwhile again, connected targeting Ukraine's vigor grid, this could person been 1 of the little close missiles successful Russia's arsenal, oregon thing brought down by Ukraine's aerial defences - though connected the look of it, this seems a little apt explanation.

It has been 2 weeks since the past question of Russian attacks connected Ukraine's powerfulness grid. Mr Zelensky said of the vigor infrastructure facilities deed connected Saturday that the astir hard concern was successful the Kharkiv and Kyiv regions.

Ukrainian authorities vigor institution Ukrenergo earlier said round-the-clock depletion limits had been acceptable for each regions until midnight section time.

Officials, successful the West and successful Ukraine, had begun to wonderment if Russia's "energy war" mightiness beryllium coming to an end, owed to a imaginable shortage of suitable missiles and the evident information the strategy has yet to interruption Ukraine's spirit.

Saturday's attacks suggest Moscow inactive thinks it is simply a maneuver worthy pursuing.