Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine on Friday, killing a seven-year-old child, the head of the southeastern region’s military administration.“Tragic news. A 7-year-old boy who was wounded in a nighttime Russian attack has died in hospital,” Ivan Fedorov said on the Telegram platform.“The capital of the country is under an enemy ballistic missile attack and a massive attack by the enemy strike drones,” the Ukrainian air force said, urging Kyiv residents to remain in shelters. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that Russian forces had targeted “critical infrastructure,” wounding at least nine people, five of whom were taken to hospital. “The left bank of the capital is without electricity. There are also problems with water supply,” Klitschko said on the Telegram platform.The Ukrainian energy minister, Svitlana Grynchuk, said Russian forces were “inflicting a massive strike” on the grid. “Energy workers are taking all necessary measures to minimise the negative consequences,” Grynchuk said on Facebook. “As soon as security conditions allow, energy workers will begin clarifying the consequences of the attack and restoration work,” she added. Russia also struck the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia with at least seven drone strikes, wounding at least three people, according to Ivan Fedorov, the head of the regional military administration. Russia has escalated aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and rail systems over recent weeks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Moscow was seeking to “create chaos” by hitting energy facilities and railways. Ukraine has stepped up its own drone and missile strikes on Russian territory in response, a tactic that Zelensky said was showing “results” and was pushing up fuel prices in Russia.
