Ukraine reported on Sunday that a Russian attack on the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia killed one person and injured nine others.
Ivan Fedorov, the regional head, described the incident on Telegram as a “combined strike,” adding that among the injured was a 16-year-old girl receiving “necessary assistance” from medical personnel.
Photos shared by Fedorov showed a damaged multi-storey building and a burnt-out vehicle. The attack triggered a nationwide air alert across Ukraine at around 4:09 a.m. (0109 GMT).
In response, Poland said it scrambled fighter jets and placed its ground defences on high alert to safeguard its airspace, particularly near the Ukrainian border.
The mayors of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, two western Ukrainian cities close to Poland, announced temporary suspensions of public transport following what Lviv’s mayor described as a “massive enemy attack.”
Fedorov also reported that more than 73,000 consumers were left without electricity in Zaporizhzhia due to the overnight assault. Parts of Lviv also experienced power outages.
The attack follows Moscow’s recent escalation of strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as temperatures drop. Earlier in the week, Russia launched its largest-ever strike on Ukraine’s gas network, while Saturday’s bombardment left about 50,000 households without power in the northern Chernigiv region.
What you should know
Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure as winter approaches, targeting power grids and gas facilities.
Poland, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has repeatedly activated its air defence systems in response to nearby missile activity, underscoring rising regional tensions as the war nears its third year.
