Russia launches ‘large-scale missile attack across Ukraine’

Russia has launched a large-scale missile attack across Ukraine, injuring several people and hitting residential and industrial buildings, Ukrainian officials have said.

All of Ukraine was under air raid alerts from around 6am local time (4am UK time) with Ukraine’s Air Force saying the country was under threat from several waves of cruise missiles and in some regions ballistic missiles.

“The enemy is viciously attacking peaceful cities,” Oleksandr Vilkul, mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Mr Vilkul said full information about the extent of potential damages will be disclosed after the Russian attack was over.

The targets of the Russian attack and the full scale of the strikes was not immediately clear.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

Anatoliy Kurtiev, secretary of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia city council, said on Telegram that a missile attack on the city resulted in injuries, but he did not provide further details.

At least one woman was injured in an attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, mayor Ihor Terekhov said on the Telegram messaging app.

He said industrial facilities were hit, resulting in a fire.

Five blasts were heard in the city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Yuriy Malashko said, and at least two people were injured.

“Missiles hit residential areas,” Mr Malaskho said on Telegram.

Ukraine’s military officials in other cities, including Dnipro and Khmelnytskyi have also said their cities were under a “massive missile attack” by Russia.

Nearly two years into the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, both sides have shifted to increased airstrikes, having struggled to make significant gains along the frontlines.

Russia has launched some of its largest attacks on Kyiv, as well as Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.

The latest strikes come after Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to back soldiers who defend Russia’s interests, ordering his government to give greater support to those who fight.

He made the remarks after Russia launched drone and missile attacks on Ukraine over the weekend – with two people killed and several injured in the southern city of Kherson, while twelve people were injured in a strike on Dnipro.

Speaking on the eve of Orthodox Christmas, the Russian president said on Saturday while meeting families of soldiers killed in Ukraine: “Many of our men, our courageous, heroic guys, Russian warriors, even now, on this holiday, defend the interests of our country with arms in hand.”