Kyiv says fresh attacks launched by Moscow

MOSCOW/KYIV — Russia launched several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting scores of Ukrainian regions and killing at least four people, Ukraine's military said early on Tuesday.

Two people were killed when a hotel was "wiped out" in the central Ukraine city of Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said. Two died in drone attacks on the city of Zaporizhzhia, east of Kryvyi Rih.

The air defense systems in the Kyiv region were deployed several times overnight to repel missiles and drones targeting the Ukrainian capital, the region's military administration said on Telegram.

Reuters witnesses reported at least three rounds of explosions overnight in Kyiv.

On Monday, Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones on Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure facilities.

"This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, striking unmanned aerial vehicles at critical energy infrastructure facilities that ensured the operation of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine. All the assigned targets were hit," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday in a statement.

The ministry added that two electronic warfare stations and four field ammunition depots were destroyed over the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it "one of the largest attacks, a combined strike".

Zelensky said the attack had caused extensive damage to the energy sector, but facilities are currently being restored.

Ukraine's government-run Ukrinform news agency said explosions struck the Ukrainian capital, some cities in central Ukraine and the eastern city of Kharkiv.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired at Ukraine several groups of combat drones and cruise missiles. Eleven Russian Tu-95MC strategic bombers and six Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic bombers were airborne during the attack.

The Kremlin said on Monday there will be a response to Ukraine's action in Kursk, where Kyiv claims further advances. Moscow said it keeps pummeling Ukraine troops there.

The size of Tuesday's attacks and their full impact were not immediately known, but Ukraine's air force said it recorded the launch of several groups of drones and the takeoff from Russian airfields of strategic Tu-85 strategic bombers and MiG-31 supersonic interceptor aircraft.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports, and there was no immediate comment from Russia.

Agencies - Xinhua