By Mardiyyah Abubakar
At least 15 people have been killed after Russia launched a wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday.
Nine people, including three children, were killed after a missile destroyed a five-storey apartment building in Pryluky, Chernihiv region.
Rescue workers searched through the rubble for survivors as emergency operations continued.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned on Tuesday night that Russia was preparing “massive” strikes, particularly against the country’s energy infrastructure.
Zelensky said two people were killed after missiles hit high-rise buildings in Dnipro and Kremenchuk, while two others died in Oleksandriya.
In Kyiv, two people died in a fire in the densely populated Darnytskyi district following the attacks.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched at least 50 missiles and 130 drones overnight, targeting several regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Poltava.
The Air Force said Ukrainian forces intercepted five ballistic missiles, 39 cruise missiles and more than 100 drones.
Zelensky said ballistic missiles remained a major challenge for Ukraine’s air defences and called for additional systems to protect the country.
The latest attacks have heightened concerns over Ukraine’s energy supply as winter approaches, with parts of Kyiv already experiencing scheduled power cuts.
