Ukraine war: Overnight strikes hit Kyiv as Putin visits Belarus

Ukraine's superior Kyiv was rocked by explosions arsenic Russia launched a uncommon overnight onslaught connected the city.

No 1 was killed and astir of the missiles were changeable down, Kyiv officials said, but immoderate did deed "critical infrastructure", causing a blackout crossed the region.

Pictures online amusement firefighters astatine a ample blaze astatine a powerfulness plant.

It comes arsenic Russia's President Vladimir Putin prepares to sojourn Belarus to conscionable his counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

This latest barrage of rocket attacks from Russia is the 3rd successful 5 days - nevertheless nighttime clip raids connected Kyiv are unusual.

Twenty-three Iranian missiles were launched, of which 18 were changeable down, the caput of Kyiv's subject administration, Serhiy Popko said.

Only 2 radical were injured, authorities reported - a precise debased fig considering galore radical would person been dormant astatine the clip of the strikes connected civilian areas.

Kyiv's Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko wrote connected Telegram that "critical infrastructure facilities were damaged" and that engineers were moving to reconstruct power.

It is presently wintertime successful Ukraine, and temperatures successful Kyiv regularly driblet beneath freezing.

Last Friday, Russia launched a barrage of missiles successful 1 of the largest aerial strikes connected the superior since the commencement of the war, and Kyiv has accused Moscow of utilizing wintertime arsenic a weapon, by attacking civilian infrastructure similar its vigor grids.

At the weekend, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia could beryllium readying different large crushed violative aboriginal adjacent year, utilizing Belarus arsenic a launching pad for the attack.

However, respective experts person said they person seen nary grounds truthful acold of preparations for a caller push, and question whether Moscow would beryllium capable to bash it implicit the winter.

Belarus shares a borderline with some Russia and Ukraine, and Alexander Lukashenko is simply a adjacent state of President Putin's.

While Belarus has not go progressive successful the warfare directly, it did let Russian troops to usage its territory to motorboat the penetration successful February. Minsk is coming nether expanding unit from Moscow to measurement up its enactment successful the alleged "special subject occupation".

As the 2 leaders hole to conscionable successful Minsk, Russia's defence ministry has announced that its troops stationed successful Belarus volition behaviour associated subject exercises - which volition further substance Kyiv's concerns of a caller incursion.

In his nightly code connected Sunday, President Zelensky said that protecting Ukraine's borders is simply a changeless priority, and helium was preparing defences for each scenarios.