Russian missile strikes take out power, water in Ukraine – POLITICO

Power and water supplies were knocked out in several Ukrainian cities Monday after a wave of Russian missile strikes.

The latest attacks took place almost two weeks after a strike on energy infrastructure plunged a significant part of the country, including Kyiv, into darkness.

In the southern port city of Odesa, the water supply was cut on Monday as “all pumping stations and reserve [power] lines” were left without electricity, according to the local water supply company.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said that two “infrastructure facilities” were damaged as a result of Russia’s strike in the Odesa region.

Russia also hit energy facilities in the Kyiv and Vinnytsia regions. In some cases, power was cut off to avoid further damage, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

In a short video statement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the nation’s air defense system shot down most of Russia’s missiles. “Our people never give up,” he added.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized “the importance” of Russia’s control over the land corridor that connects Crimea with Russian territory through recently occupied Ukrainian regions.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the land connection is important because of “possible new attacks against the Crimean bridge and related infrastructure,” state news agency TASS reported.

Peskov’s statement appeared after a video was published by the Kremlin in which Putin was seen inspecting the bridge. Putin, who was shown behind the wheel of a car driving across the Crimea bridge, was accompanied by Deputy PM Marat Khusnullin, who informed the president about restoration works after the bridge was partially destroyed by an explosion in October.