UKRAIN – Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine in months, hitting energy infrastructure across the country, killing at least five people and causing widespread damage. Strikes were reported in several major cities, from Odesa in the south, Dnipro in the east to Rivne in the west. In the capital Kyiv, which has seen near-daily strikes since the start of September, residents were forced to shelter in the metro network.

Two people were killed in a drone strike in the Mykolaiv region, while six others including two children were injured. A further two were killed in Odesa in an attack which also injured a 17-year-old boy, and a woman was killed in her car in Lviv region, the governor said. The last comparable attack happened on August 28, when Russia launched 127 missiles and 109 attack drones at Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force said. The overnight strikes triggered blackouts in several regions, including Odesa where heating, water and electricity supplies have been cut and hospitals are running on power from generators. Ukrainian energy company DTEK said its thermal power plants were attacked and equipment was “severely damaged.” The war – now nearing its third year – has reached a critical point for Ukraine, with Russia making gains across the frontlines and Donald Trump retaking the White House, which could mean the end to vital US support. Ukraine’s energy supplies have been repeatedly targeted by Russian attacks since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, causing rolling blackouts. Bombardments have intensified in recent months, leaving the country in a precarious position as the war grinds into its third winter. (CNN)

Photo: Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian rocket attack in Lviv, Ukraine. (AP)