New Russian missile strikes leave most of Kyiv without water

Smoke rises after Russian forces' missile strike towards a power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on Oct. 31. Photo: Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Russia launched a fresh series of missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday, destroying critical infrastructure for power and water supplies in cities and regions across the country.

Driving the news: The attacks come after Russia claimed without evidence that Ukraine and the U.K. were behind drone attacks on Russian ships in Crimea.

The big picture: Russian strikes on Kyiv on Monday left 80% of consumers in the capital without water and 350,000 homes without electricity, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote in a Telegram post.

• "Just in case, we ask you to stock up on water from the nearest pumps and points of sale," he added.
• Water supply to parts of the city would be restored in three to four hours, Klitschko added in another post.
• "Missiles and drones hit 10 regions, where 18 objects were damaged, most of them energy-related," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote in a Telegram post.
• Strikes also targeted the cities of Kharkiv — hitting two critical infrastructure facilities — and Zaporizhzhia, AP reported.
• Critical infrastructure facilities in the Cherkasy and Kirovohrad regions were also hit.
• Missiles over the Lviv region were successfully shot down on Monday. "Destruction and casualties were avoided," Lviv Gov. Maksym Kozytskyy wrote in a Telegram post lauding the news.
• Vinnytsia regional Gov. Serhii Borzov confirmed in a Telegram post that Russian missiles had targeted the region on Monday, with one hitting a civilian object.

What they're saying: "Another batch of Russian missiles hits Ukraine's critical infrastructure. Instead of fighting on the battlefield, Russia fights civilians," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Monday.

• "Don't justify these attacks by calling them a 'response'. Russia does this because it still has the missiles and the will to kill Ukrainians," he added.

The big picture: Monday's strikes are the latest in an escalation of Russian attacks that have caused massive blackouts throughout the country and prompted energy rationing.

• Ukraine's electric utility, Ukrenergo, warned earlier this month that the country's energy system has suffered more attacks since the Russian escalation began on Oct. 10 than in the previous eight months of the war.
• The attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure threaten to leave many Ukrainians without electricity, water and heat as winter rapidly approaches.

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