Ukraine faces power outages after Russian attacks

More than a dozen Russian missiles hit energy facilities and other infrastructure in Ukraine on Saturday, the Ukrainian air force said, with the attacks causing power outages in different regions.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian attacks had taken place on a "very large" scale. Zelensky promised that his military, with the help of partners, would improve its already good record in shooting down missiles. At the same time, Russian occupation authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson urged civilians to leave the area immediately, citing the tense military situation. The Ukrainian military said it was making gains as its forces advanced southward from the Kherson region and captured at least two villages it said Russian troops had abandoned. Since October 10, Russia has launched devastating attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, hitting at least half of thermal power generation and up to 40% of the entire system. Shortly after dawn, authorities in many regions reported attacks on energy facilities and power outages as engineers scrambled to restore the grid. Governors advised residents to stock up on water. Some parts of Kiev experienced power outages in the evening. In a central area, shops closed and traffic lights went out. "The geography of this latest mass attack is vast," Zelensky said in a video address at night, referring to regions in western, central and southern Ukraine. "Of course, we do not have the technical capability to shoot down 100 percent of Russian missiles and attack drones. I am confident that with the help of our partners we will gradually achieve this. We have already shot down most of the cruise missiles, most of the drones." He said Ukrainian forces shot down 20 missiles and more than 10 Iranian-made Shahed drones on Saturday. Earlier, the Air Force Command said 33 missiles had been fired at Ukraine. Eighteen of them were shot down. Follow Global Economic Developments on Social Media! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Facebook account! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Instagram account! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Twitter account!