Russia has carried out missile strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine, and the energy supply to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been interrupted, and the Ukrainian army continues to defend Bakhmut, writes Reuters.
After being hit by Russian missiles, Zaporizhzhya NPP, which was occupied by the aggressor forces a year ago, receives electricity from backup generators. Ukraine’s state-owned company Energoatom said in a statement: «The last link between the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and the Ukrainian power system was cut off.» The fifth and sixth NPP reactors are shut down, and 18 diesel generators with enough fuel for ten days are used for operation.
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, informed that Russia carried out extensive attacks at night when the population was sleeping. He noted that part of the country is without electricity and water supply: «Explosions have been recorded in most regions – infrastructure facilities & residential areas have been hit.»
Missiles hit Kyiv, the port city of Odessa and Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv. No casualties have been reported at this time.
Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv for seven hours, and Ukrainian forces intercepted various types of missiles and drones. Kyiv mayor Vitaly Klitschko informed that 40% of consumers in Kyiv were left without electricity.
On the morning of Thursday, the 9th of March, the Ukrainian army reported that the Russian army is intensively attacking Bakhmut and other cities of Eastern Ukraine. 110 attacks were repelled during the previous day. On the evening of Wednesday, the 8th of march, Zelensky stated that the defense of Bakhmut and its surroundings is Ukraine’s top priority.
The owner of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has announced that his mercenaries have occupied the eastern part of Bahmutka: «Everything east of the Bahmutka River is under the complete control of the Wagner Group.» The city center is on the west side of the river, but Prigozhin has made premature assumptions before. Reuters could not confirm the situation on the battlefield.
Oleh Zhdanov, a Ukrainian military expert and reserve colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, informed that in addition to the neighborhood of Zabakhmutka in Bakhmut, the Russians have also captured the neighborhood of Ilyinivka and advanced in the vicinity of Svatovo in the north, and are making progress near Avdiivka in the south.
Read also: Ukrainians continue to defend Bakhmut against Russian attacks