Russian strikes trigger Ukraine power cuts, prompt Poland to scramble jets

At slightest 3 people, including a child, killed successful rocket and drone barrage crossed Ukraine, officials say.

Russia has deed regions crossed Ukraine with missiles and drones, sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 radical and triggering exigency powerfulness outages arsenic United States-led talks to extremity the astir four-year struggle dragged on.

In a societal media post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a four-year-old successful the Zhytomyr portion was among those killed during the Russian attacks that took spot “in the midst of negotiations aimed astatine ending this war”.

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“This Russian onslaught sends an highly wide awesome astir Russia’s priorities,” helium said, urging Ukraine’s Western partners to summation unit connected Moscow.

A pistillate successful the Kyiv portion and different idiosyncratic successful the Khmelnytskyi portion were besides killed, Zelenskyy added.

There was nary contiguous remark by Russia, which denies targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine successful February 2022.

Ukraine’s powerfulness relation Ukrenergo said connected Tuesday that the “massive rocket and drone attack” had caused fires successful respective regions, starring it to enforce “emergency powerfulness outages” crossed the country, wherever wintertime temperatures are presently dipping towards freezing.

Firefighters extinguish a burning cargo vas damaged successful a Russian overnight onslaught connected a larboard successful Odesa portion [Press work of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine successful Odesa region/Handout via Reuters]

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said vigor infrastructure successful Ukraine’s occidental regions suffered the astir harm successful the overnight attacks, which included dozens of missiles and much than 600 drones.

The country’s aerial unit reported that aerial raid alerts covered astir each of Ukraine arsenic of 06:20 GMT, arsenic Russia intensifies its attacks during wintertime to disrupt energy and heating and to strain logistics and the economy.

In the capital, Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said debris fell adjacent a residential gathering successful the Sviatoshynskyi district, damaging windows. In the Black Sea metropolis of Odesa, Russian strikes sparked fires but did not effect successful injuries, according to exigency services.

As a effect of Tuesday’s attacks, NATO subordinate Poland said Polish and allied craft were deployed to support its airspace aft Russian strikes deed areas of occidental Ukraine adjacent its border.

“These measures are preventive successful quality and are aimed astatine securing and protecting the airspace,” Poland’s operational bid said successful a statement.

Poland scrambles jets during large Russian missile-and-drone barrages connected occidental Ukraine, erstwhile strikes are deemed to airs a heightened hazard adjacent its border.

No breakthrough

The latest strikes followed two-track negotiations successful the US metropolis of Miami, with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner gathering Ukrainian and Russian delegations separately.

Zelenskyy said connected Monday that revised drafts of US ceasefire proposals looked “quite coagulated astatine this stage”. “There are immoderate things we are astir apt not acceptable for, and I’m definite determination are things the Russians are not acceptable for either,” helium said.

He claimed “nearly 90 percent” of Ukraine’s demands had been incorporated into the draught agreements, alluding to a 20-point plan.

However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov was quoted by authorities media arsenic saying determination had been “slow progress”.

Witkoff hailed “productive and constructive” discussions with some sides, but determination were nary signs of a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued its run to disrupt the Russian warfare effort and sow fearfulness down the beforehand line, wherever outnumbered Ukrainian troops are straining to clasp back Russia’s bigger army.

On Monday, Ukrainian officials said the country’s forces had deed an lipid terminal, a pipeline, 2 parked jets and 2 ships successful a bid of strikes connected Russian soil.

That day, a car weaponry killed a elder Russian wide successful confederate Moscow. Russian investigators said they suspected the onslaught was “linked” to “Ukrainian peculiar forces”. Ukraine has not commented connected the incident.