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Russian rockets pound power plants in central and western Ukraine

Russian missiles pounded power facilities in central and western Ukraine on Saturday, increasing pressure on the ailing energy system as the country deals with a shortage of air defences despite a breakthrough in U.S. military help.

The air strike, performed with long-range missiles, including cruise missiles fired by Russian tactical bombers based in the Arctic Circle, was the fourth large-scale aerial assault targeting the power system considering that March 22.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy repeated a plea to partners for defensive missiles, especially the Patriot system. He said the targets included electrical power and gas transit centers, in specific those essential for gas supply to the European Union, though he did not say whether any such centers were harmed.

Russia continues to provide gas to the EU via Ukraine under a. transit handle Russia's Gazprom that is set to. expire in December and which Ukraine says it does not plan to. extend.

The opponent again massively shelled Ukrainian energy. facilities, stated DTEK, Ukraine's biggest personal electrical power. business, adding that four of its 6 thermal power plants had. suffered damage overnight.

Rescuers fought to put out fires at several energy. facilities in the western regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk,. which border NATO members Poland and Romania, officials said.

After strikes on energy facilities in the central. Dnipropetrovsk area, running water supplies were interfered with in. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's home town of Kryvyi Rih,. officials stated.

Ukrainian air defences reduced 21 of the 34 incoming. rockets, the leader of the air force said in a statement.

None of the centers hit was recognized by name, a. security measure planned to avoid Russia rapidly examining. the impact of its strikes.

Zelenskiy stated the trajectories and nature of the attack had. been computed to make preventing it as hard as possible. Each. downed rocket today is a significant outcome, he stated.

Ukraine's state-run oil and gas firm Naftogaz stated Russia. had attacked its facilities but that no-one was harmed and. products to Ukrainian consumers and clients were untouched.

Russia, which started its major invasion of Ukraine in. February 2022, rejects targeting civilians however states the Ukrainian. energy system is a legitimate military target. Ukrainian. authorities stated one energy worker was harmed overnight.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, which has been heavily. bombed in recent weeks, a rocket struck a healthcare facility holding 60. clients overnight, injuring a woman and harming the building,. nearby water pipes and power lines, the local guv said.

Ukraine, which has tried to take the fight back to Russia in. current months utilizing long-range drones, assaulted the Ilsky and. Slavyansk oil refineries in Russia's Krasnodar area over night,. a Ukrainian intelligence source told .

The drone strike carried out by the SBU security service. triggered fires at the facilities, the source stated. Russia's. Kushchevsk military airfield was also assaulted in the southern. area, the source added.

The Slavyansk oil refinery was forced to suspend some. operations after being harmed in the attack, Russian state news. agency TASS cited an executive managing the plant as saying.

ROLLING BLACKOUTS

Ukraine has lost 80% of its thermal power generation and 35%. of its hydroelectric capacity throughout Russian attacks, authorities. say.

Though the core of the energy system originates from nuclear. power, that lost capacity serves a balancing function in the. grid and its loss might be a big issue when consumption increases. later this year, authorities state.

Rolling blackouts have been presented in several areas,. but the full impact of the attacks has not been felt as. usage, which peaks in winter and the height of summertime, is. low because of moderate weather.

There were no planned blackouts for now in Lviv region, however. the governor urged citizens to economise on electrical energy use,. particularly throughout the night hours of peak consumption. He said. the 2 crucial energy facilities objects in Stryi and. Chervonohrad districts were damaged in Saturday's attack.

Zelenskiy called for more air defence products, quicker. deliveries and decisive actions from Kyiv's allies.

The United States approved a significant help plan for. Ukraine this week, conquering a congressional deadlock that. dragged out for 6 months as Kyiv's weapon stocks ended up being. diminished.

The Pentagon stated on Friday it would buy $6 billion worth of. brand-new weapons for Ukraine consisting of interceptors for the Patriot. air defence system.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, who went to Lviv. on Saturday, announced a $100 million military aid package. including short-range air defence and drones with air-to-ground. accuracy munitions coming separately.