VLADIMIR Putin unleashed a night of terror on Ukraine using 90 missiles and 60 drones in one of the biggest blitzes of the war so far.
Dramatic footage shows fires engulfing the Dnipro power plant and dam as the Russian tyrant, 71, cruelly targeted civilian infrastructure in multiple cities.
East2WestThe missiles slammed into the Dnipro power plant and dam overnight[/caption]
East2WestFires are still raging at the site after Putin’s mega blitz[/caption]
East2WestThousands took shelter in Kyiv’s underground metro stations[/caption]
Reeling from the deadly overnight attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “There were more than 60 [Iranian-made] ‘Shaheds’ and almost 90 missiles of various types overnight.
“The world sees the targets of Russian terrorists as clearly as possible: power plants and energy supply lines, a hydroelectric dam, ordinary residential buildings, even a trolleybus.”
The Dnipro plant, Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power station, was ablaze overnight, while footage showed the mangled and still burning wreckage of the trolleybus.
The dam – part of the hydro facility – managed to survive the attack but terrifying pictures show it engulfed in flames with serious damage to its structure as day broke.
“The fire at the station continues,” said the Ukrhydroenergo power company.
“ Emergency services and energy workers are working on the spot, overcoming the consequences of numerous airstrikes. There is no threat of a breakthrough [of the dam].
“The situation at the station dam is under control.”
Petro Andryushenko, adviser to the exiled Ukrainian mayor of Mariupol, slammed the attacks as “real terrorism”.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was cut off from electricity due to the bombardment, Ukraine’s energy minister Herman Halushchenko said.
“This is the largest attack on Ukraine’s energy sector in recent times,” he added.
Separately, Kharkiv was hit by power and water outages in some of the strongest bombardments of the war from Putin’s strategic aerial bombers.
The Kharkiv Transport Engineering Plant which produces and repairs tanks was hit among at least 15 other explosions in the city.
It appeared to be the biggest strike of the war against energy facilities in Ukraine with the internet down and domestic and industrial electricity supplies hit.
For the second day in succession, Nato war planes in Poland were scrambled due to “the activity of Russian long-range aviation”.
At least 13 Tu-95MS aircraft – part of Putin’s nuclear warhead carrying fleet – launched cruise missiles at Ukraine.
In Kyiv, thousands were forced to sit through the long night in underground shelters.
In Zaporizhzhia, there were 12 missile strikes. Seven houses were destroyed, 35 were damaged and the casualties are being determined.
Explosions were recorded in Kanatovo, near Kirovograd, a reserve air base of the Ukrainian Air Force, as well as Kremenchuk, Burshtyn, Khmelnitsky Odesa, Zhytomyr, and Vinnytsia.
In Dnipro, electricity and water supplies were hit, as was the Internet.
A large local hydroelectric power station was completely out of order in Ladyzhyn, Vinnytsia region.
Pro-Kremlin Russian Telegram channel War Gonzo branded the brutal strikes as “judgement night and morning”.
Earlier this week, Putin had vowed to strike back vengeance for what he saw as Ukrainian hits on civilians in Russia’s Belgorod region.
He said: “We can respond in the same way.
“[We can hit] civilian infrastructure and all other objects of this kind that the enemy attacks.”
The new missile and drone blitz came only a day after Putin attacked Kyiv with his new terrifying 9,200mph hypersonic “Dagger” missiles just hours before Nato chiefs were due to visit.
Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles before dawn on Thursday – which marked their attack on the capital in six weeks.
East2WestPutin have vowed to strike at Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in revenge for the rebel raids[/caption]
East2WestBlack smoke rises above the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant in the early hours of this morning[/caption]
East2WestPutin’s army strikes Ukraine in the biggest attack to date on its energy infrastructure[/caption]
Russia targeted Kyiv this week with its new 9,200mph hyperonic ‘Dagger’ missiles
