Russia carries out massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities: at least 11 people killed. Updates

In the early hours of 9 March, Russian forces carried out a massive missile attack on the energy infrastructure and civilian facilities of Ukraine. Local authorities have reported 11 victims so far — five people were killed in the Lviv region, four in the city of Kherson, and two in the Dnipro region. At least two people have been injured.

Ukraine’s energy company DTEK has begun to conduct emergency power outages in multiple regions of the country. In Kyiv, half of residents have been left without electricity; the whole city of Kharkiv is without power. Three thermal power stations have been damaged. 

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi reports that, in total, Russian forces launched 81 missiles and eight Shahed kamikaze drones. Ukraine’s air defence, together with other divisions of the Ukrainian army, destroyed 34 cruise missiles and four drones. Novaya Gazeta Europe covers the aftermath of the massive missile attack in Ukraine’s regions.

Kyiv

The Russian army carried out several missile strikes on Kyiv in the early hours of 9 March, mayor of the city Vitali Klitschko says. According to him, explosions took place in the Holosiivskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts of the Ukrainian capital. In the Sviatoshynskyi district, two people were injured; they have been hospitalised. Ukraine’s energy company DTEK reports that emergency power outages have been carried out in Kyiv — 40% residents of the city have been left without electricity.

In the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv, according to initial reports, a Russian Kinzhal missile hit an energy infrastructure facility, head of the Kyiv city administration Serhiy Popko reports. According to him, Russian forces spent seven hours launching “basically all types of their aerial weapons — starting from Shaheds and up to almost all kinds of cruise missiles.” 

Odesa region

Head of the Odesa regional administration Maksym Marchenko says that an energy infrastructure facility was hit and several residential buildings were damaged in the missile attack. According to him, no one was hurt. Power has been limited in places in the Odesa region, too. 

“We’re expecting a second wave [of strikes],” Marchenko writes on his Telegram channel.

In the Odesa region, several power lines and a transmission tower were damaged, he adds. Air defence shot down six missiles and one drone in the air space of the region.

Kharkiv

In the city of Kharkiv, the Russian army carried out 15 strikes on the capital and the region, head of the regional administration Oleh Synyehubov reports.

“Critical infrastructure facilities are the target once again. According to initial reports, a private house has been hit in the region. Information on the victims and the scale of destruction to come,” his post says. Kharkiv’s metro has stopped working because of the power outages. 

Later, the Kharkiv region energy company stated that electricity had been turned off in the entire city of Kharkiv. According to Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov, the city was also left without water supply and heating due to the attack. 

Kherson

In the city of Kherson, three people were killed in the morning attack carried out by Russian forces, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak reports. According to him, Russian forces hit, among other things, a public transport stop.

Later, Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne reported, citing the regional administration, that one more person was killed and one injured in the attack.

Dnipro region

Head of the Dnipro region Serhiy Lysak reports that a 34-year-old man was killed and two people, a 28-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, were injured in the Russian attack in the Nikopol district. The injured have been hospitalised. Head of the Dnipro region city Kryvyi Rih administration Oleksandr Vilkul says that two energy infrastructure facilities were hit. 

“The enemy attacked the Dnipro region using drones and missiles. The hits [were documented] in the Dnipro, Pavlohrad, Kryvyi Rih, and Nikopol districts,” Lysak adds.

According to him, energy infrastructure facilities and industrial enterprises were severely damaged.

Another person was killed and two were injured in the Pavlohrad district of the Dnipro region, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine. 

Lviv region

Head of the Lviv regional administration Maksym Kozytskyi says that a Russian missile fell in a residential area in the Zolochiv district of the region.

Four people were killed, two men and two women.

“At the moment of the missile falling down, they were in their homes. There’s still rubble to clear. More people could be under the rubble,” he writes. Later on, the number of victims rose up to five people.

Other attacks

Head of the Kropyvnytskyi regional administration Andriy Raykovych says that an energy infrastructure facility was damaged in the Kropyvnytskyi district. The power has been partially turned off in the region. No one was hurt in the attack.

Head of the Zhytomyr regional administration Vitaliy Bunechko reports that an energy infrastructure facility was damaged by a Russian drone attack. As a result, 150,000 people have been left without power.

Correspondents for Ukraine’s national broadcaster Suspilne also report explosions having taken place in the cities of Dnipro and Khmelnytskyi, as well as in the Vinnytsia region and other places. Emergency power outages were also carried out in the Kyiv, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipro regions. 

Zaporizhzhia NPP left without power

Ukraine’s energy company Energoatom reports that the Zaporizhzhia NPP lost all of its power because of the Russian strikes. 

“Today at 3:53 AM, as a result of missile attacks, the last overhead transmission line connecting the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP and the Ukrainian energy system was disconnected,” their statement reads. 

“Currently, the power plant is de-energised and is in blackout mode for the sixth time during the occupation. Units 5 and 6 are being put into cold shutdown, and 18 diesel generators have started operating to supply the plant’s in-house loads. There is 10 days’ fuel stock left for their operation. 

“Furthermore, all domestic nuclear power plants located in the territory under control of Ukraine have decreased their power due to the threat of missile attacks. As at 06:30 am, all power units totally supply 4,700 MW to the power grid,” according to the company.

The company notes that “if the off-site power supply to the plant cannot be restored within the time frame [of 10 days], an accident may occur with radiation consequences for the whole world”.

Russia launched 81 missiles, 34 were shot down

The Russian army launched 81 missiles and 8 Shahed-136 kamikaze drones against Ukraine, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi says. 

Ukraine’s forces managed to destroy 34 cruise missiles out of 48. Furthermore, eight guided air missiles were unable to reach their targets because of Ukraine’s organised countermeasures, the commander-in-chief adds.

As per his statement, Russian forces carried out strikes using 28 air-launched cruise missiles Kh-101/Kh-555, 20 ship-launched cruise missiles Kalibr, six air-launched cruise missiles Kh-22, six air-launched Kh-47 Kinzhal, eight guided air missiles, two Kh-31P and six Kh-59, and 13 surface-to-air missiles S-300.

Russia carried out an attack against Ukraine using different types of missiles for the first time, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force Command Yuriy Ignat says.

“For the first time, Russian shelled Ukraine using such different types of missiles. They launched six Kinzhals. They used, in particular, MiG-31K aircraft. I don’t remember this happening before,” he said on air of the national tele marathon.

Three thermal power stations damaged

The Russian army also attacked three thermal power stations belonging to DTEK, according to the energy company. “As per initial reports, no one was hurt. The equipment of the stations was severely damaged in the attack,” their statement reads.

According to DTEK, as of 10 AM Kyiv’s time, emergency power outages were cancelled in the capital, however, due to one of the power lines being overloaded, the power still has not been turned on in several districts. 

In the Odesa region, energy infrastructure facilities were damaged, leading to part of the region having no power. Repair crews of DTEK and Ukrenergo are currently dealing with the aftermath of the attack. 

Emergency power outages are also occurring in the Kyiv, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipro regions. 

‘Massive retaliatory strike’: Russia’s Defence Ministry confirms attack on Ukraine

“In response to the terrorist acts in the Bryansk region organised by the Kiev regime on 2 March this year, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive retaliatory strike,” the ministry’s statement reads.

The ministry has also confirmed to have used hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in today’s attack.

“Key elements of Ukraine’s military infrastructure, defence and industrial complex enterprises, as well as energy facilities that support them” were hit, according to the Russian ministry.