8 Killed, Several Injured After Russia Launches One of Its Fiercest Missile Attacks at Ukraine

Kyiv: A Russian strike on a nine-storey building in city of Sumy in norrn Ukraine killed eight people and wounded dozens, an official said on Sunday, as Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack described by officials as largest in recent months.

Among eight killed in Sumy, 40 kilometres from border with Russia, were two children, said Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. More than 400 people were evacuated from building.

rescuers were checking every apartment looking for people who might be still in damaged building.

"Every life destroyed by Russia is a big tragedy," said Klymenko.

drone and missile attack, which targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, came as fears are mounting about Moscow's intentions to devastate Ukraine's power generation capacity ahe of winter.

Also on Sunday, President Joe Biden authorised for first time use of US-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine to strike inside Russia, after extensive lobbying by Ukrainian officials.

weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea's decision to send thousands of troops to support Russia in Kursk region where Ukraine mounted a military incursion over summer.

It is second time US has permitted use of Western weapons inside Russian territory within limits after permitting use of HIMARS systems, a shorter-range weapon, to stem Russia's vance in Kharkiv region in May.

first reaction from Ukraine to long-awaited decision from US was notably restrained.

"Today, much is being said in media about us receiving permission for relevant actions. But strikes are not me with words. Such things are not announced. missiles will speak for mselves," said Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his nightly video dress.

Earlier, Zelenskyy said Russia h launched a total of 120 missiles and 90 drones in a large-scale attack across Ukraine. Various s of drones were deployed, he said, including Iranian-me Shaheds, as well as cruise, ballistic and aircraft-launched ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian defences shot down 144 out of a total of 210 air targets, Ukraine's air force reported later on Sunday.

" enemy's target was our energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine. Unfortunately, re is damage to objects from hits and falling debris. In Mykolaiv, as a result of a drone attack, two people were killed and six ors were injured, including two children," Zelenskyy said.

Two more people were killed in Odesa region, where attack damaged energy infrastructure and disrupted power and water supplies, said local Governor Oleh Kiper. Both victims were employees of Ukraine's state-owned power grid operator, Ukrenergo, company said hours later.

combined drone and missile attack was most powerful in three months, according to he of Kyiv's City Military ministration, Serhii Popko.

One person was injured after roof of a five-storey residential building caught fire in Kyiv's historic centre, according to Popko.

A rmal power plant operated by private energy company DTEK was "seriously damaged", company said.

Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine's power infrastructure since Moscow's all-out invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, prompting repeated emergency power shutdowns and nationwide rolling blackouts. Ukrainian officials have routinely urged Western allies to bolster country's air defences to counter assaults and allow for repairs.

Explosions were heard across Ukraine on Sunday, including in capital, Kyiv, key sourn port of Odesa, as well as country's west and central regions, according to local reports.

operational command of Poland's armed forces wrote on X that Polish and allied aircraft, including fighter jets, have been mobilised in Polish airspace because of "massive" Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine. steps were aimed to provide safety in Poland's border areas, it said.

Russia's Defence Ministry on Sunday acknowledged carrying out a "mass" missile and drone attack on "critical energy infrastructure" in Ukraine, but claimed all targeted facilities were tied to Kyiv's military industry.

Although Ukraine's nuclear plants were not directly impacted, several electrical substations on which y depend suffered furr damage, UN's nuclear energy watchdog said in a statement on Sunday. According to International Atomic Energy Agency, only two of Ukraine's nine operational reactors continue to generate power at full capacity.

A local journalist also died on Sunday as Ukrainian drones struck Russia's embattled Kursk region, its Governor Aleksei Smirnov reported.

Moscow's forces have for months strained to dislodge Ukrainian troops from sourn province after a bold incursion in August that constituted largest attack on Russia since World War II and saw battle-hardened Ukrainian units swiftly take hundreds of square kilometres of territory.

In Russia's Belgorod province, near Ukraine, a man died on spot after a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on his car, local Governor Vyacheslav Glkov reported.

Anor Ukrainian drone on Sunday targeted a drone factory in Izhevsk, deep inside Russia, according to anti-Kremlin Russian news channels on Telegram messaging app. 

(Except for heline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)