Russian Strikes: 10 Million Without Power – Zelensky

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says 10 million Ukrainians are without power after a fresh wave of missile strikes by Russia.

At least seven people were killed in the strikes, with the number expected to rise.

“We are doing everything to normalize the supply,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

Ukraine’s air defence managed to shoot down six cruise missiles and five drones, he added.

On Thursday, Russia pounded Ukraine with a fresh missile barrage, hitting more energy installations and other civilian buildings less than two days after one of its heaviest bombardments yet.

Seven people died when a missile hit their apartment block in Vilnyansk, near the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, the Ukrainian presidency said.

A gas production plant in the east and a missile factory in Dnipro were among the latest targets, officials say.

Those suffering power outages are mainly in the capital, Kyiv, the western city of Vinnytsia, the port city of Odesa in the south-west and Sumy in the north-east.

Mr Zelensky accused Russia of destroying his people’s supplies of electricity and heat.

The Ukrainian leader repeated his calls for Ukraine’s partners to offer “full protection of the Ukrainian sky”, saying that to do so would encourage Russia to end the war.

Moscow has looked to justify its recent strikes by accusing Kyiv of “unwillingness” to negotiate.