Ukraine capital plunged into darkness after sinister revenge missile strike from Russian invaders

RUSSIA yesterday boasted of launching a revenge missile blitz against Ukraine — briefly plunging Kyiv into darkness and cutting electricity to a nuclear power station. But hours after the deadly barrage, lights came back on in the capital and the Zaporizhzhia nuke power plant was reconnected — averting the risk of a meltdown. AFPSmoke billows into the air after the Russian missile strike targeted Ukrainian capital Kyiv[/caption] AFPA Ukrainian soldier with heavy weaponry amid the damage inflicted by Russia’s missile attack[/caption] EPAAt least nine civilians died as 81 missiles were aimed at targets across Ukraine, including Kharkiv, above, in the north, Odesa in the south and Lviv in the west[/caption] The overnight blitz included six hypersonic missiles — the most the Kremlin has fired in one go. At least nine civilians died as 81 missiles were aimed at targets across Ukraine, including Kharkiv in the north, Odesa in the south and Lviv in the west. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Russia had failed yet again to destroy his country’s energy infrastructure. He said: “Russian terrorists launched another large-scale attack against Ukraine. “Mainly the energy system of Ukraine was targeted. They tried to destroy it and failed again.” But officials warned northern Kharkiv had no power, water or heating last night. The barrage included 48 cruise missiles fired from submarines and warships in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Caspian Sea, as well as jets and long-range bombers which took off from Russia and neighbouring Belarus. Russia also fired eight Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones, which officials suspect is a ploy to distract Ukraine’s air defences. Ukraine said it shot down 34 of the 48 cruise missiles and four of the eight Iranian drones. But air force spokesman Colonel Yurii Ihnat warned they were powerless to stop the hypersonic Kinzhals and re-purposed S-300 missiles which Russia now uses as ground attack weapons. He said: “The enemy used a wide spectrum of weapons in order to distract air defence units. They attacked with various types of aircraft and vessels from three seas.” The hypersonic Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, or Dagger missiles, can reach five times the speed of sound and swerve at more than 3,850mph to dodge Ukraine’s air defences. Col Ihnat added: “I cannot remember that many Kinzhal missiles being launched at once during this war.” Britain said Russia was running low on Iranian drones and warned Moscow would try to buy more. And Western officials have repeatedly claimed the Kremlin is running out of hi-tech missiles and cannot replace them owing to sanctions on Western-made parts. Putin’s missile blitzes have become less frequent since he turned his fury on the country’s power grid last autumn. Col Ihnat said Russia had only a “few dozen” Kinzhals left. He also claimed Ukraine was unable to stop the devastating Kh-22 missiles which carry a 950kg warhead. At least six of them were fired in latest attacks. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia seized last year, relies on Ukraine’s national grid for power to cool the reactors. Officials said its generators had enough fuel to last 15 days if electricity was cut. The latest attacks killed at least five people in a village outside Lviv, one in Dnipro while three civilians died in artillery shelling of the southern city of Kherson. The Russian defence ministry claimed the strikes were to avenge attacks in Bryansk, Western Russia, by a pro-Ukraine group of Russians. Putin’s biggest barrage of missiles since mid-February was described as a “serious breach” of nuclear safety by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He said: “Zaporizhzhia is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe and Russia is putting in danger the entirety of our joint European continent, Russia included.” Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, also warned: “What are we doing to prevent this happening? “Each time we are rolling a dice. If we allow this to continue time after time, one day our luck will run out.” Residents stood over a huge shell crater in the second largest city of Kharkiv, where water supplies were cut for the day. In Lviv, a girl rescued her dog from the debris after two rockets destroyed residential buildings. In Kyiv, Viktor Bukhta, 57, was awoken by a missile exploding nearby. He said: “We went into the yard. People were injured. Then the cars caught fire. “We tried to extinguish them with car fire extinguishers. And I got a little burned.” It also left parts of the capital without heat and came days after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a military hospital to award a soldier fighting in Bakhmut with a heroism medal. He said yesterday: “The enemy fired 81 missiles in an attempt to intimidate Ukrainians again, returning to their miserable tactics.” While blitzed but not defeated, Ukraine was warned it could face a further two years of bloodshed. Lithuanian military intelligence estimated Russia has enough resources to continue the war at the same intensity for that time. Elegijus Paulavicius, military intelligence chief, said: “Russia had been accumulating weapons and equipment over the long years of the Cold War.” EPAA girl rescues a dog in Lviv after the missile attacks[/caption] BackGridUkraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visited a military hospital to award a soldier fighting in Bakhmut with a heroism medal[/caption] EPAPutin’s massive missile strikes have become less frequent since he turned his fury on the country’s power grid last autumn[/caption] It follows widespread outrage over footage of an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner of war who shouted “Glory to Ukraine” being executed by machine-gunners  Meanwhile, 1,000 miles away in Latvia, cars seized from drunk drivers were loaded on to lorries destined for use by Ukrainian hospitals and the military. Police in the Baltic nation have impounded 200 vehicles since launching the scheme this year.  Soldiers and medics will use them to drive around Ukraine. MISSILES STRIKE BUT LIGHTS GO BACK ON By Jerome Starkey, Defence Editor RUSSIA’S latest massive missile strike is a sure sign of Vladimir Putin’s increasing desperation. Having totally failed to win on the battlefield, Moscow is trying to break Ukraine’s will to fight. Wave after wave of missiles and drones from submarines, ships, ground-launchers and planes have pounded the country’s energy infra­structure since October. Moscow wants to plunge Ukraine into icy darkness. Cut the power and people have no light.  Hit the pumping stations and they have no heating.  People will die. Putin’s plan evokes the words of British statesman Sir Edward Grey as he warned on the eve of World War One: “The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” However the difference now is that Ukraine refuses to be dimmed. Despite the devastating attacks, infrastructure is enduring. In some ways it is even improving. On Wednesday night — hours before the latest blitz — the northern city of Kharkiv turned its street lights back on for the first time since Russia invaded. In the city centre, a giant pole with a Ukrainian flag was lit up at night for the first time since February 23 last year. Electric trains and trolley buses have also restarted. Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure started in October as revenge for blowing up the Kerch Bridge — which links mainland Russia to occupied Crimea. Now, six months later, it looks like yet another failed Russia strategy. For the past two weeks the town of Kramatorsk — just 20 miles from the so-called “meat grinder” assault in Bakhmut — had 24-hour power and running water. It is a similar story across most of Ukraine. Kyiv has been lucky that the winter has been mild. It seems that even the fabled General Winter — the name the Russians used to describe the weather as their military ally — has abandoned them in Ukraine. Western officials have noted that the massive Russian missile blitzes have become less regular, which they put down to shortages of hi-tech weapons.