Ukraine war: Russian missiles hit Ukraine day after West's tanks move

Russia launched a question of missiles astatine Ukraine connected Thursday, a time aft Germany and the US pledged tanks to assistance Kyiv's combat against the invasion.

One idiosyncratic died and 2 others were injured aft strikes deed a gathering successful Kyiv, the city's politician said.

Officials besides reported strikes connected 2 vigor facilities successful the confederate portion of Odesa.

The barrage came arsenic Russia said it perceived the vessel connection arsenic "direct" Western engagement successful the conflict.

In what was intelligibly a sustained and wide-ranging attack, Ukrainian authorities said they were expecting implicit 30 missiles and had seen respective explosions during Kyiv's unreserved hour.

A subject spokesperson said astatine slightest 15 missiles were downed.

Earlier, Ukraine's aerial unit said it had changeable down a clump of Iranian-made onslaught drones launched by Russian forces from the Sea of Azov successful the southbound of the country.

A 55-year-old antheral was killed and 2 others wounded erstwhile non-residential buildings successful the southbound of the superior were struck, officials reported.

The violative was a continuation of Russia's months-long maneuver of targeting Ukraine's infrastructure. The freezing wintertime has seen powerfulness stations destroyed and millions plunged into darkness.

After Thursday's strikes, exigency powerfulness cuts were enforced successful Kyiv and respective different regions to relieve unit connected the energy grid, said DTEK, Ukraine's largest backstage powerfulness producer.

A time earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to supply Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks, pursuing weeks of planetary pressure. They are wide seen arsenic immoderate of the most effectual conflict tanks available.

The dense weaponry is expected to get successful precocious March oregon aboriginal April.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the determination but urged the speedy transportation of the tanks. He besides appealed to the West to nonstop long-range missiles and combatant jets.

But for tanks to beryllium "game-changer", 300 to 400 of them would beryllium needed, an advisor to Ukraine's defence curate told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"The sooner we decision Russia connected the battlefield utilizing Western weapons, the sooner we volition beryllium capable to halt this rocket panic and reconstruct peace," Yuriy Sak said, adding that allies person made "no wide indication" of however galore tanks volition beryllium pledged.

Speaking connected the aforesaid programme, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said sending tanks to Ukraine would marque a large quality to the country's quality to triumph the war.

He besides warned that Russia was readying a caller offensive, conscionable arsenic reports began emerging from Ukraine of rocket strikes pursuing drone attacks overnight.