In Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, a drone and missile strike by Russia overnight resulted in one fatality, 31 injuries, and left tens of thousands without power or heat, officials reported Thursday.
The energy facility destruction caused power outages for over 20,000 residents and heating loss for approximately 17,000, as disclosed by Governor Ivan Fedorov.
According to Fedorov, Russian forces initiated the assault with drones, followed by ballistic missiles during a more than six-hour air-raid alarm.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shared on social media that casualties included a two-month-old baby and rescuers responding to the initial attack.
Early Thursday, rescue teams and police sifted through the remains of an apartment building in ruins, aiding elderly individuals in evacuation. Governor Fedorov mentioned one destroyed and 30 damaged structures.
A local resident recounted the harrowing ordeal, stating, I leaped from the couch to dress, and as I rushed to the closet, I was showered with debris, eventually emerging to the sound of my wife's screams, said Serhiy, 35.
Zaporizhzhia, a key industrial city close to the conflict zone, has been recurrently targeted by Russian forces.
The Kyiv air force reported that Russia launched four ballistic missiles at the city, part of a widespread overnight assault on Ukraine that also involved 92 drones.
Defenses intercepted 57 drones, with 27 evading detection, the air force confirmed.
Russia has frequently conducted air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities beyond the front lines of the ongoing invasion, with a focus on disrupting the country's frail energy infrastructure.
Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko disclosed that Moscow's forces had targeted Ukraine's energy system 1,200 times since 2022.
While the new U.S. President Donald Trump advocates for conflict resolution, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains concerned about the situation, yet Ukraine insists that Moscow's insistence on keeping seized territory is unacceptable.