Russian missiles target power network in Ukrainian cities

Kyiv, December 29

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Russia fired several missiles today, targeting Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa and other cities in Ukraine in one of the largest aerial bombardments that sent people rushing to shelters and knocked out power infrastructure.

Ukraine’s military said it had shot down 54 missiles out of 69 launched by Russia in an assault that began today morning.

Putin, Xi to speak via video link today

• President Vladimir Putin will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping via video link on Friday to discuss a host of bilateral and regional issues
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders will talk about bilateral Russian-Chinese relations
• Without providing specific details Peskov said that it would be very important to exchange views on more acute regional problems

Kremlin rejects peace plan

• The Kremlin rejected a 10-point peace plan proposed by Zelenskyy
• The Kremlin has said to end the conflict, Ukraine must accept Russia’s annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia

In Kyiv, a video showed team of emergency workers poring through the smouldering wreckage of residential houses destroyed by a blast and smoke trails of missiles lingering in the sky over the capital.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, fire fighters worked to extinguish a large blaze at an electricity station. In the southern central city of Zaporizhzhia, houses were damaged and a missile left a huge crater.

Ukraine’s military said Russia had launched air and sea-based cruise missiles, anti-aircraft guided missiles and S-300 air defence missile system at energy infrastructure facilities in eastern, central, western and southern regions of the country. The attacks followed an overnight assault by ‘kamikaze’ drones.

“The enemy placed a high stake on this attack, preparing for it for two weeks. Ukrainian air defence forces demonstrated an incredible level of skill and efficiency,” said Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on the Telegram messaging app.

“At the same time, there were hits and damage, in particular to energy facilities. In some areas, emergency shutdowns may be applied to avoid accidents in the networks. Our power engineers are already working to repair everything,” he added.

Meanwhile, Belarus’ state-run BelTA news agency reported that a Ukrainian S-300 missile had fallen onto the territory of Belarus on Thursday and published a photo of what it said were parts of it lying in an empty field. — Reuters