Kyiv – A Russian missile and drone attack in Ukraine overnight resulted in the deaths of two civilians and caused significant damage to energy facilities and railway infrastructure across the country, according to officials on Saturday.
Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor for Kharkiv, reported that Iskander missiles targeted an infrastructure facility in the small town of Barvinkove in the northeast. The attack killed two individuals and injured three others. Syniehubov noted that more than 50 residential houses, administrative, and commercial buildings were also damaged but did not specify details about the targeted facility.
The Ukrainian air force confirmed that Russian forces launched four ballistic Iskander missiles during the night, which Ukrainian air defenses were unable to intercept. However, the air defense systems successfully shot down 13 out of 17 Russian drones over five regions in the east, north, and center of the country.
Ukrenergo, the national grid operator, reported that the drones targeted electricity distribution facilities in the central Poltava region, the Sumy region in the northeast, and the northern Chernihiv region. As a result, Ukrenergo imposed emergency power cuts for industrial and residential consumers in Poltava and Chernihiv regions.
Since March, Russian forces have intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, significantly reducing energy generation capacity and causing prolonged blackouts for millions of people.
Additionally, the Ukrainian Railways stated that the overnight attacks damaged railway infrastructure in parts of the Kharkiv region, leading to brief delays for some passenger trains.
