Moscow continues to target Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure

Officials reported that a Russian cruise missile strike targeted infrastructure in Ukraine’s western Lviv region, resulting in the death of one man on Sunday. 

Another person died in a separate attack in the northeast, they said. 

According to Governor Maksym Kozytskyi, the strike in Lviv destroyed a building, leading to a fire, which sparked rescue operations.

In the Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed an air attack that claimed the life of a 19-year-old man when a missile struck a gas station.

Hundreds of thousands in Ukraine’s Odesa region were left without power following a blaze at an energy facility caused by debris from a downed Russian drone, as reported by local authorities.

Approximately 170,000 homes suffered power outages due to the attack, according to DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private electricity operator.

The Ukrainian air force reported shooting down nine out of 11 Shahed-type drones and nine out of 14 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight. 

Recent days have seen an escalation in Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, resulting in significant damage across several regions.

Centrenergo, a Ukrainian energy company, announced the complete destruction of the Zmiiv Thermal Power Plant in the northeastern Kharkiv region due to Russian shelling the previous week. 

As a result, power outage schedules remained in effect for around 120,000 people in the region, with 700,000 initially losing electricity after the plant was hit on March 22.

In a message coinciding with Easter celebrations for some of Ukraine’s Christians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the nation to remain resilient despite ongoing Russian aggression. 

He emphasised the need to persevere in the face of adversity, affirming the resilience of the Ukrainian spirit.