Russia 'purposefully' hit critical infrastructure in latest strikes, Kyiv mayor says

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The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, tells the BBC Ukraine needs more help from its partners to protect civilians

Russia's latest attack on Kyiv marks the first time in several months critical infrastructure "was purposefully attacked" in the Ukrainian capital, the city's mayor said.

At least 17 people have been killed as blocks of flats and warehouses were struck across the city overnight, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said. A children's hospital and school were also damaged, and more than 40 people have been injured, it added.

On Thursday, Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko warned residents of Desnyansky and part of the Dnipro districts may experience a disrupted supply of hot water, following the overnight attacks.

"Specialists are working to restore the damaged infrastructure," he said on Telegram , external .

Image source, Reuters Image caption, Cars were left burning in Kyiv after the strikes

Speaking to BBC News at a wrecked apartment block in Kyiv, Klitschko said Ukraine continues to face a shortage of air defence missiles and needs "ammunition, anti-missile systems - we need support from our partners".

Kyiv relies on Western allies for the supplies and President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistics, Russia will not seriously think about peace".

He added: "The interceptors for the Patriots have not yet been replaced, and they are needed every day. Each additional missile saves the lives of our people."

An update released by the Ukrainian Air Force on Thursday morning implied that none of the Russian ballistic missiles used overnight were intercepted.

Ukraine has relied on American supplies of Patriot interceptor missiles to combat Russian ballistic missiles, but the US has used much of its stockpile during the war with Iran.

The Russian defence ministry said it used air, land and sea-based weapons to target military facilities and warehouses.

The latest strikes on Kyiv began around midnight local time as air raid sirens sounded across the city, followed by the impact of Russian missiles.

The strikes cut power to thousands of properties, plunging parts of the Kyiv region into darkness.

A day of mourning is to be observed on Friday.

At a local school in the Solomyanski disctrict, the windows were knocked out and its playing fields were left covered in debris.

A nearby storeroom was destroyed , exposing the basement. The BBC was told it was a laundry and boiler house supplying heating to the surrounding apartment blocks.

Ukraine's deputy intelligence chief told the BBC this was the kind of attack Russia was planning ahead of the winter in order to make life difficult.

Anastasiia Kovtun's flat was in a nine-storey building that was hit in the attack.

The primary school teacher said she felt like her "head was going to blow" when she heard the explosions in her area from the shelter.

"It's so frightening to realise it's your house, you never think you're going to be next," she told the BBC.

Image caption, Anastasiia Kovtun said she needed time to "process" after her flat was destroyed in strikes

Valeria Bondaruk moved to Kyiv after her home in southern Ukraine was bombed, believing it would be safer for her and her daughter.

Now she has been driven from her home for the second time during this war.

She told the BBC she feared for her 13-year-old daughter's future and was considering leaving Ukraine.

Image caption, Valeria Bondaruk stands in her apartment, damaged by overnight strikes

Elsewhere in the broader Kyiv region, an attack in the Brovary and Boryspil districts killed one man and wounded seven. One person was killed and 11 injured in the region of Donetsk, a local official said.

In Russia, the defence ministry said that 726 Ukrainian drones had been shot down after being launched at various regions across the country.

In recent weeks both sides have carried out massive air strikes, resulting in dozens of deaths.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks deep inside Russia and targeted the capital Moscow with a wave of 600 drones at the weekend.

Two separate attacks on Russia this week killed at least 16 people, including one child.

Image caption, A missile strike in Solomyanski destroyed cars and a building that supplied heating to blocks of flats

Despite the ongoing attacks and vulnerabilities on both sides, there has been little progress in diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire. Both sides accuse each other of targeting civilians.

Russia first launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and currently controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory – largely concentrated in the eastern border regions.

Additional reporting by Isabella Jewell in Kyiv and Ruth Comerford in London

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