One killed in Bucha as overnight Russian strikes leave Kyiv without heat and water again

One person was killed in the city of Bucha near Kyiv as overnight Russian missile and drone strikes left large swathes of the Ukrainian capital without heating, electricity and water, the authorities said on Tuesday.

Kyiv region Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said a 50-year-old man had been killed in the “treacherous” strike on Bucha, which also damaged two petrol stations.

“The terrorist country has once again confirmed that its targets are peaceful people and civilian infrastructure. The enemy is deliberately terrorising Ukrainian cities and villages,” Kalashnyk said.

The attacks, which also targeted the regions of Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava and Sumy, left Kyiv’s entire left bank without water and some 5,635 apartment blocks without heating, according to the city’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko.

Utility and energy companies were working to restore heating, water and electricity to residents following the latest attack, which injured one person, Klitschko said, adding that 80% of the apartments left without heating had only just had it turned back on following an earlier Russian airstrike on 9 January.

Zelensky said Russia had attacked Ukraine with a “significant number of ballistic and cruise missiles” and over 300 drones overnight, but that a recent missile delivery from Kyiv’s allies had allowed air defences to intercept a “significant number” of them.

A “special energy coordination call” is due to be held on Tuesday to discuss the “consequences of the attack and the resources needed to restore electricity, heat, and water supply for people”, Zelensky said, adding that Kyiv again faced the “most difficult situation”.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched one Zircon hypersonic cruise missile as well as 18 ballistic missiles, 15 other cruise missiles and 339 attack drones in the overnight attack, with Kyiv the main target. Air defences were able to down 14 of the ballistic missiles, 13 of the cruise missiles and 315 of the drones, it added.

On Monday, Zelensky had warned Ukrainians to remain “extremely vigilant” as Russia was “prepared for a massive strike and is waiting for the moment to carry it out” amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine’s energy sector.