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Russian strikes on Kyiv injure five and damage bridge and energy facilities

Smoke rises over the Kyiv skyline after a Russian attack, Monday, July 8, 2024.
Smoke rises over the Kyiv skyline after a Russian attack, Monday, July 8, 2024. -  Copyright  AP Photo
Copyright AP Photo
By Nathan Rennolds
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Friday night of further strikes against Ukraine's energy sector and civilian infrastructure as he renewed calls for deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles.

Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight left five people injured and damaged a bridge and energy facilities in the capital, according to authorities.

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"As a result of the enemy’s night-time attack, energy infrastructure in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions has been damaged," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, adding that there were "disruptions" to both Kyiv's heating and water supply systems.

"The situation regarding the capital’s energy supply is extremely difficult," he wrote in a post on Telegram.

Klitschko said the Pivnichnyi Bridge had also been damaged in the attack and that it had been closed to traffic in both directions as specialists assessed the structure.

He later posted a video of himself at the bridge, which he said had suffered damage to its surface as well as the "trolleybus overhead line and power line."

Five vehicles in a car park near the bridge were also damaged by the blast wave, he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned on Friday night of further strikes against Ukraine's energy sector and civilian infrastructure as he renewed calls for deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles.

"Russia's tactics are aimed at destroying power grids, transformers and switchgear," he said in a video update shared on social media. "That is why even when we have enough generating capacity, some regions unfortunately still face shortages."

The US State Department recently announced that Washington had green-lit a package of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors worth $2.1 billion for Kyiv, but Zelenskyy has said delivery could take years.

The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly stressed the importance of the missiles for Ukraine's air defences and has been urging allies to speed up deliveries ahead of winter. Russia has repeatedly sought to target Ukraine's power grid during winter periods since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Patriot missile platform is one of the world's most advanced air defence systems and can be used to defend against a variety of threats, including incoming aircraft and ballistic missiles.

In his video address on Friday, Zelenskyy said he had also spoken with the team tasked with managing Ukraine's deep strike campaign against Russia and that Russia would "get our response."

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