Russian drone strikes leave thousands of Ukrainians without power and water
The Russian bombardment of Ukraine continued Tuesday, as drone strikes targeting power stations and water supplies cut off thousands of Ukrainians from key resources.
The attacks are part of a Russian strategy to plunge Ukraine into chaos and power shortages as winter approaches. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that 30 percent of his country's power stations were destroyed.
Russia has started hitting civilian targets across Ukraine with so-called "kamikaze" drones that nosedive directly into their targets, causing significant destruction. These attacks are unlikely to stop anytime soon, as Iran reportedly agreed to send Russia another slate of surface-to-surface missiles and drones.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The attacks have led to power outages across the country, with The Associated Press reporting of some airstrikes "reaching far into the country and damaging key facilities, sometimes faster than they can be repaired."
The latest Ukrainian city to be shelled Tuesday was Zhytomyr, around 85 miles west of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. The area houses military bases and industrial areas, and Zhytomyr's mayor told AP that all 250,000 people in the city had initially lost power. Despite efforts to restore electricity, at least 150,000 reportedly remained in the dark.
Kyiv itself also saw significant damage, after drone strikes on a pair of power facilities killed four people and left 50,000 people without power, city officials said.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said more than 100 Iranian-made kamikaze drones have hit targets in the past week alone.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
The Christmas quiz 2024
From the magazine Test your grasp of current affairs and general knowledge with our quiz
By The Week UK Published
-
People of the year 2024
In the Spotlight Remember the people who hit the headlines this year?
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: December 25, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The North Korean troops readying for deployment in Ukraine
The Explainer Third country wading into conflict would be 'the first step to a world war' Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned
By The Week UK Published
-
Experts call for a Nato bank to 'Trump-proof' military spending
Under The Radar A new lender could aid co-operation and save millions of pounds, say think tanks
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
What would happen if Russia declared war on Nato?
In depth Response to an attack on UK or other Western allies would be 'overwhelming'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Last updated
-
Missile escalation: will long-range rockets make a difference to Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Kyiv is hoping for permission to use US missiles to strike deep into Russian territory
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Atesh: the Ukrainian partisans taking on Russia
Under The Radar Underground resistance fighters are risking their lives to defend their country
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
'Second only to a nuclear bomb' – the controversial arms Russia is using in Ukraine
The Explainer Thermobaric bombs 'capable of vaporising human bodies' have been used against Ukraine
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The peaceful archipelago that may take up arms
Under The Radar Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left the Åland Islands 'peculiarly vulnerable'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published