January 14, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

Damage to power infrastructure from a wave of Russian missile strikes has led to emergency power outages in most regions across Ukraine, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said.

"The next days will be difficult. Power engineers are already working to restore electricity supply," the energy minister continued.

Saturday's wave of missile attacks follows a relative lull that had allowed Ukrainian power companies to reduce the power deficit caused by damage to transformers and substations.

A top Ukrainian government official said "fierce battles" for the town of Soledar continue Saturday. 

Russian forces appear to be in control of most of the town, with Ukrainian units on its northwestern fringes.

Some background: Soledar is a small town in eastern Ukraine with symbolic, if not especially strategic, value to Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces, who have gone months without a notable victory.

Russia said Friday its forces had taken the town, though Ukraine has denied the claim.

Earlier Saturday, the head of the Donetsk region military administration called the situation for Ukraine's military in Soledar "difficult but controlled."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said emergency services are working to clear debris and save lives at the site of an apartment building strike in the central city of Dnipro.

"Debris clearance in Dnipro continues. All services are working. We are fighting for every person, every life," he said in a message on his Telegram channel.

At least five people were killed and nearly 30 injured in the Russian missile strike on Saturday, according to authorities.

"Eternal memory to all whose lives were taken by Russian terror! The world must stop this evil," Zelensky added, vowing that "we will find everyone involved in this terror."

The government in Moldova has condemned Russia's missile attacks against neighboring Ukraine and expressed its "indignation" that debris from a missile fell on its territory Saturday.

She also decried "the disrespect of the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, its airspace being overrun again today and the remains of a rocket falling in the vicinity of Larga town in the Briceni district."

The Moldovan Interior Ministry posted photographs of the debris in a field.

A regional Ukrainian leader said five people were killed by a Russian missile that struck a nine-story apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

At least 27 people were injured, including six children. All of them are in the hospital, according to Valentyn Reznichenko, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration.

Images and video from the scene show the collapsed front of the building and a fierce fire in the immediate aftermath of the strike, which occurred early Saturday afternoon local time. There was a series of detonations after the initial impact, possibly as cars or gas lines ignited.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said earlier that "at least one entrance is missing, people who were at home on a holiday are under the rubble."

Tymoshenko said 15 people had been rescued in the destroyed entrance of the building. The State Emergency Service and all city services are at the scene, he said.

Denys Shmyhal, the Ukrainian prime minister, said air defenses are working in the latest wave of Russian missile attacks against Ukrainian cities.

Shmyhal also said the strikes are “yet another proof that Russia is a terrorist and has no place in the civilized world.”

Shmyhal also said the strikes are “yet another proof that Russia is a terrorist and has no place in the civilized world.”

Russia is targeting infrastructure in Kharkiv as part of its "large-scale missile attack" on Ukraine, the mayor of the northeastern city said Saturday.

"There is a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine now, the enemy is targeting infrastructure facilities," Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram.

Only ground transportation is operating in the city, he said, adding that "we have implemented a scheme of bus routes in case of power outage."

Oleh Syniehubov, head of Kharkiv's military administration, said there had been two "arrivals" of Russian missiles to a critical infrastructure facility in the region.

"Currently, emergency power cuts are being applied. Emergency services are working at the scene," he said.

Russian missiles have struck infrastructure and could disrupt utility supply for residents in the western Lviv region of Ukraine, the head of the region's military administration said.

"The enemy hit a critical infrastructure facility in Lviv region," the official, Maksym Kozytskyi, wrote on Telegram. "There may be power and water supply interruptions. Stay in shelters. The threat continues!"

Air raid sirens are sounding across Ukraine on Saturday. Authorities say air defenses continue to work in several regions of the country.

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine says "air defenses and aviation are working" as air raid alerts are in effect for much of the country.

Air defenses are reported to be operating in several regions of Ukraine.

Amid the nationwide alert, the mayor of the western city of Lviv, Andrii Sadovyi, warned residents there is a "high level of threat of missile attacks" against the city.