Kyiv: Russia said on Wednesday that its forces had carried out a major overnight strike on a communications centre in Kyiv, energy facilities in the Kyiv region and port infrastructure in Izmail in southern Ukraine.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the attack targeted what it described as Ukrainian military and energy infrastructure. It said a communications centre known as the De Novo data centre in Kyiv was among the facilities hit.
Russia also said its forces struck several energy facilities in the Kyiv region, including the Kyivska power substation near Nalyvaikivka, the Kyiv hydroelectric power plant in Vyshhorod and the Trypilska thermal power plant.
The Russian ministry also reported strikes on an energy storage facility in Horenychi and an industrial complex at Izmail port in the Odesa region.
Russia further said a dry cargo vessel in the northwestern Black Sea was hit. It alleged that the vessel was carrying military and dual use goods to the Odesa region.
The Russian claims about the specific facilities and the vessel could not be independently verified. There was also no independent confirmation that the communications centre or the other facilities were being used for the military purposes described by Russia.
The overnight attack also caused civilian casualties in Kyiv and the surrounding region, according to Ukrainian officials. At least three people, including a child, were killed and seven others were injured.
Two people were killed and four injured in Kyiv, while a child was killed and three other people were injured in the wider Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said.
The attacks damaged houses, warehouses, vehicles and other infrastructure and caused fires in several locations. Emergency services continued working at damaged sites after the overnight strikes.
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 188 attack drones along with several missiles during the attack, which began on the evening of September 29.
By about 8 am local time, Ukrainian forces said they had destroyed or neutralised 160 aerial targets, including 155 drones and five ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian Air Force said the attack recorded hits at 18 locations and that several Russian drones remained in Ukrainian airspace at that time.
The attack came after several days of heavy Russian strikes on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine. Russian forces have increasingly targeted Ukrainian energy and communications infrastructure during the war.
The communications infrastructure has come under particular pressure in recent days. Russia has claimed strikes against Ukrainian data centres, while Ukrainian officials have reported disruptions to telecommunications and internet services following attacks.
The latest strikes also come as Ukraine prepares for another winter of war. Russian attacks have repeatedly targeted energy infrastructure, raising concerns about electricity, heating and water supplies.
The full extent of the damage to the facilities named by Russia remains unclear. Ukrainian authorities are continuing to assess the damage from the overnight attacks, while the two sides have provided different accounts of the targets and results of the strikes.