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© Reuters. An explosion of a missile is seen within the sky over town throughout a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
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By Pavel Polityuk and Gleb Garanich
KYIV (Reuters) -Russia struck crucial infrastructure in Ukraine’s western area of Lviv with missiles early on Sunday, Kyiv stated, in a significant airstrike that noticed one Russian cruise missile briefly fly into Polish airspace in line with Warsaw.
Moscow launched 57 missiles and drones within the assault that additionally focused the capital Kyiv, two days after the most important aerial bombardment of Ukraine’s vitality system in additional than two years of full-scale conflict, Kyiv stated.
“There were two preliminary hits on the same critical infrastructure facility that the occupiers targeted at night,” Lviv’s regional governor Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
The strike used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, that are more durable to shoot down, he added, with out figuring out the power.
The vitality ministry stated tools caught fireplace when a crucial vitality facility within the Lviv area was attacked, inflicting it to lose energy. It was unclear in the event that they have been speaking about the identical facility.
Air defences destroyed 18 of 29 inbound missiles and 25 of 28 assault drones, the air pressure stated.
There have been nearly no particulars about what had been broken, however the concentrating on of crucial infrastructure may point out Russia is attempting to maintain up strain on the vitality system after its strikes triggered widespread blackouts on Friday.
The vitality ministry stated Ukraine, which has been exporting energy in latest weeks, had sharply elevated imports of electrical energy and stopped exports on Sunday after assaults on the vitality system.
A number of explosions rang out in Kyiv within the early hours as air defences destroyed a couple of dozen missiles over the capital and its neighborhood, stated Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s navy administration.
There was solely minor injury from the assault, he stated.
Small teams of individuals huddled for security underground in a central Kyiv metro station within the early hours, a few of them sleeping on tenting mats.
Moscow has been pounding Ukraine for days in assaults portrayed by Moscow as revenge for Ukrainian assaults that have been carried out throughout Russia’s presidential election.
The wreckage of a downed Kh-55 cruise missile was present in a Kyiv park, officers stated.
“For the third pre-dawn morning this week, all of Ukraine is under an air alert and has been advised to seek shelter,” U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink posted on X.
Russia’s defence ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
POLISH AIRSPACE
Poland’s armed forces stated a Russian cruise missile launched on the area of Lviv had violated Poland’s airspace.
“The object entered Polish space near the town of Oserdow (Lublin Voivodeship) and stayed there for 39 seconds,” it stated on the social media platform X. “During the entire flight, it was observed by military radar systems.”
Poland’s military spokesperson, Jacek Goryszewski, advised reporters that the missile travelled about 2 km (1.2 miles) into Polish airspace earlier than returning to Ukraine.
There was no quick remark from Russia. Warsaw stated it will demand an evidence from Moscow.
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated Warsaw would proceed to help Ukraine each militarily and on the humanitarian facet.