Critical charge. Ukraine reports ‘massive’ Russian attacks

Ukraine said Russia launched “massive” missile and drone attacks on Friday, a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky visited some European countries to push for long-range weapons.

On Friday morning, “the enemy struck cities and critical infrastructure facilities,” the air force said, adding that seven Iranian-made “kamikaze” drones were launched from the Sea of Azov and six Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea.

The air force said it had shot down five drones and five Kalibr missiles.

Russia also carried out a “massive” attack with “up to 35 anti-aircraft guided missiles” targeting the Kharkiv region in the east and the southern Zaporizhzhia region, it said.

In Kharkiv, “critical and infrastructure facilities were targeted” resulting in fires that were “quickly” put out, governor Oleg Sinegubov said.

He said nobody was injured but some parts of the city were without power.

“Energy and industrial infrastructure” suffered damaged in Zaporizhzhia, leaving sections of the city without electricity, local official Anatoly Kurtev said.

Kurtev said 17 strikes were recorded over the course of an hour, “the largest number” since Russia invaded nearly one year ago.

Ukraine’s energy operator Ukrenergo, said “several high voltage facilities” were affected in the eastern, western and southern regions of Ukraine, leading to power outages in some areas.

Russia also targeted “power plants and transmission system facilities,” Ukrenergo said, adding that emergency power cuts have been put into place.