Russia rains down 50 missiles in Ukraine; leaves Kyiv without water, electricity

Russia on Monday launched an estimated 50 missiles across different Ukrainian cities in another massive attack that it unleashed on the country, leaving more than a dozen people injured and nearly 80 percent of residents in the Capital Kyiv without water. Air raid sirens on Oct 30 blared as several rockets hit the civilian areas damaging the key electrical infrastructure, as well the water supply plants. Water supply company Kyivvodokanal said that its utility service workers were repairing the structures to restore supply in Kyiv. Several areas plunged into darkness due to the power shutdown.

A barrage of Russian strikes hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other Ukrainian cities, intensifying the war that entered the tenth month earlier today. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal lambasted the Russians for targeting civilians and critical infrastructure. He labelled the Russian forces as "terrorists." "Russian terrorists have again massively attacked Ukraine," Shmyhal said, according to The Kyiv Independent. "They are not targeting military bases but critical and civilian infrastructure sites," he added. 

Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a release that its forces carried out “strikes with long-range high-precision air and sea-based weapons against the military command and energy systems of Ukraine.” “The goals of the strikes were achieved. All designated targets were hit,” the ministry added in a statement.

Russia suspends grain deal

The new assault comes just a day after Russia's suspension of the UN-brokered deal to move Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea port that threatens to deepen a global food crisis. Kremlin accused Ukrainian forces of attacking its Black Sea Fleet, citing it as the reason for snubbing the deal as the guarantee for the safety of the vessels was no longer ensured. Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Monday said that Russia was not ending participation in the grain export deal, just suspending it.  "We are not saying that we are ceasing our participation in this operation. No, we are saying that we are suspending it," Putin told a televised news conference.

The Russian president noted that the Ukrainian drones travelled through the same corridors the grain ships used to transit. "And thus they created a threat both to our ships, which must ensure the safety of grain exports and to the civilian ships that are engaged in this," he stressed. He also called on the Ukrainian government to guarantee the safety of maritime traffic, alleging that it misused a safe shipping corridor for grain.