In its second early-morning assault in three days, Russia has fired a barrage of missiles towards Ukrainian cities.
According to BBC, Pavlohrad, a supply hub close to the Ukrainian capital of Dnipro, was attacked before Ukraine’s eagerly expected counteroffensive.
The attack injured 34 individuals, started a large fire, and damaged dozens of homes.
A few hours later, Kyiv, the nation’s capital, was among the targets of an air raid alert.
The Ukrainian army claimed to have destroyed 15 of the 18 launched cruise missiles nationwide.
The city of Pavlohrad, which is in Ukrainian-controlled territory and is around 70 miles (110 km) from the frontline, sustained the most serious damage. Pictures shared on social media revealed a sizable fire.
Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk military administration described it as a “tragic night and morning”, saying an industrial site had been hit.
Nineteen high-rise apartment blocks, 25 private houses, six schools and kindergartens and five shops were also damaged, it added.
A Russian-installed official, Vladimir Rogov, said the strike targeted railway infrastructure and fuel depots, in a message on Telegram with a thumbs-up gesture.
Hours later, at around 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT) the air raid alert sounded in Kyiv and lasted for about three hours.
The military administration said all missiles and drones directed at the capital were destroyed.
In the Kherson region – which is still partly controlled by Russia – Ukrainian regional authorities said Russia had carried out 39 shellings.
They came from ground-based weapons, as well as drones and planes, the authorities said, adding that one person was killed.
Recent days have seen an increase in attacks in Ukraine, with places away from the front lines being targeted. On Friday, 23 people were killed in the central city of Uman.
Ukraine says it is finishing plans for a long-awaited offensive against Russian forces, supported by Western-supplied weapons and military equipment.
Russia, meanwhile, is also preparing for a Ukrainian push and has fortified its positions in occupied territory.
Cl Gen Mikhail Mizintsev, the Russian deputy defence minister who supervised armed forces logistics, has been fired as part of the most recent upheaval in the nation’s military hierarchy.
He had only been assigned to the position in September.
There have long been accusations that front-line troops do not receive enough military supplies and that food and clothes are in short supply.
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