Russia intensifies deadly strikes on Ukrainian cities – NYT

The New York Times writes about it.

A missile attack on Vilniansk on Saturday killed seven civilians, including three children. Dozens of others, including a pregnant woman and five 14-year-old girls, are being treated for wounds, said Yuriy Borzenko, chief doctor of Zaporizhzhia Regional Children’s Hospital.

The attacks, part of a broader assault on Ukrainian cities, have killed at least 24 civilians since Friday. "Her parents are in really bad shape," Dr. Borzenko said about one girl left in a coma.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his plea for long-range American missiles, saying, "Long-range strikes and modern air defense are crucial to stopping daily Russian terror."

Other recent attacks include Russian shelling in the Donetsk region, killing nine on Saturday and six more on Sunday. In Derhachi, Kharkiv, three guided bombs hit apartment buildings, injuring two older men. Another bomb hit a postal service branch in Kharkiv on Sunday night, killing one and injuring nine.

Zelenskyy reported that about 800 powerful bombs were dropped by Russian warplanes last week. Despite Ukrainian Air Force efforts, which shot down 10 drones on Saturday, a 67-year-old man in Kherson was killed.

In Dnipro, a missile struck a high-rise on Friday, killing one and leaving two missing. On Sunday evening, debris from a missile downed over Kyiv hit an apartment complex, with no immediate casualties.

The violence is part of a larger strategy to deplete Ukraine’s resources and morale. May was the deadliest month for civilians in a year, with at least 174 killed, according to the UN.

Russia's ongoing bombardment of Ukraine's power grid has severely damaged infrastructure. "Repairs will take years rather than months," said Ildar Salieiev, head of DTEK, a major private electricity company.

Ukrainians face a challenging winter with potential widespread blackouts. "Consumers could face a 50 percent deficit," warned Serhii Kovalenko, head of energy company Yasno, forecasting 12-hour daily blackouts.