Russian missile barrage slams into Ukrainian cities; 6 dead

By HANNA ARHIROVA and ELENA BECATOROS
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A barrage of more than 80 Russian missiles and a smaller number of exploding drones hit residential buildings and critical infrastructure across Ukraine. The strikes on Thursday killed six people and left hundreds of thousands without heat or electricity. The largest such attack in three weeks also put Europe’s largest nuclear plant at risk by knocking it off the power grid for hours before it was reconnected. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the assault that came while many people slept was an attempt by Moscow “to intimidate Ukrainians again.” The Russian Defense Ministry said the strikes were in retaliation for a recent incursion into western Russia by what Moscow claimed were Ukrainian saboteurs.