Russia strikes across Ukraine, including Kyiv, knocking out key infrastructure

Parts of capital without power, water; attack comes days after Russia blamed Ukraine for drone attack on Black Sea fleet, an allegation Kyiv denied

Ukrainian officials on Monday morning reported a massive barrage of Russian strikes on critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities.

At least five explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital.

Part of Kyiv was cut off from power and water supplies as a result, its mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

“An area of Kyiv is without electricity and certain areas without water following Russian strikes,” Klitschko wrote on the Telegram messaging service.

Officials also reported possible power outages in the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia resulting from the strikes.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov told the Kyiv Independent newspaper that Russia “hit a critical infrastructure facility.” The subway has ceased operations in the city.

Russian tanks damaged in recent fighting are seen near the recently retaken village of Kamianka, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Oct. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Some parts of Ukrainian railways were also cut off from power, the Ukrainian Railways reported.

Critical infrastructure objects were also hit in the Cherkasy region southeast of Kyiv, and explosions were reported in other regions of Ukraine.

In the Kirovohrad region of central Ukraine, the energy facility was hit, according to local authorities. In Vinnytsia, a missile that was shot down landed on civilian buildings, resulting in damage but no casualties, according to regional governor Serhii Borzov.

Video circulating on social media appeared to show some missiles being shot down.

The actual footage of how the Russian missile was downed in Kyiv oblast.

????Andrii Nebytov, head of National Police in Kyiv oblast. pic.twitter.com/2kXO9fs81J

— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) October 31, 2022

Senior Ukrainian presidential adviser Anton Gerashchenko tweeted that 40 cruise missiles had been fired toward the country, targeting energy infrastructure.

The claim could not be immediately independently verified.

The attack came two days after Russia accused Ukraine of a drone attack against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off the coast of the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Ukraine denied the attack, saying that Russia mishandled its own weapons, but Moscow still announced it was halting its participation in a UN-brokered deal to allow safe passage of ships carrying grain from Ukraine.

Despite Russia’s announcement, two cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products left Ukrainian ports on Monday, according to a marine traffic website.

Twelve ships are due to leave Ukrainian ports on Monday according to the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) that has been overseeing the agreement brokered by Turkey and the UN.