UKRAINE has been placed under red alert with civilians taking cover in bomb shelters across the country.
It came as Russia mounted a second “massive” attack on the country’s energy infrastructure with cruise missiles and kamikaze drones.
Ukrainians take shelter in an underground train station in Kyiv
ReutersThree women huddle up in winter clothes in an underground Kyiv metro station[/caption]
AlamyA person in Kyiv is seen holding a smartphone displaying the red warning map[/caption]
Almost one million people throughout the country were left without power in the overnight blitz, the government said.
Officials across Ukraine reported explosions and large swathes were plunged into darkness during emergency power cuts.
“Energy infrastructure is once again targeted by the enemy’s massive strike,” Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook.
American ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said she woke up on Thanksgiving morning in Kyiv to “see the whole country is red from the threat of missiles”.
Her post on X came above a stark map showing all of Ukraine filled in red – representing areas under Russian attack.
Russia has aimed countless attacks against the country’s energy infrastructure before, crippling key systems during the brutal winter months.
The United Nations warned that Russia’s strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure could make this winter the “harshest since the start of the war”.
Blasts reportedly rang out in capital Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lutsk, Mykolaiv and Rivne.
Local officials also reported strikes in Sumy, Lviv, and Vinnytsia.
Embattled Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff said the attack showed Russia is “continuing their tactics of terror”
Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said a rocket strike on the city damaged a business and part of an apartment building.
Another missile attack on the northeastern Sumy region also targeted infrastructure, officials said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defence systems had been activated on Thursday morning amid the nationwide attack.
Ukraine’s air force had previously warned residents about a missile threat for the capital.
ReutersA man cuddles with his cat as they take shelter[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
