Russian strike hits Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, cutting utilities, mayor says

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Dec 7 (Reuters) – Russian forces launched an overnight combined air strike on infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, causing power and water outages, its mayor Vitalii Maletskyi said on Sunday.

Located on the Dnipro River, Kremenchuk is a major industrial hub and home to one of Ukraine’s biggest oil refineries. The city has been repeatedly hit by Russian missiles, including a 2022 strike on a crowded shopping mall that killed at least 21 people.

Maletskyi said in a social media post that details of consequences of the strike would be released later on Sunday after damage assessment is completed. City services were working to restore electricity, water and heating in districts where supplies were disrupted, he added.

Russia has intensified long-range strikes on Ukraine’s power, heating and water infrastructure ahead of winter and seeking to sap public morale and disrupt industry after previous cold seasons in the nearly four-year war saw nationwide blackouts and emergency rationing.

A photo posted by the mayor showed a large blaze engulfing what looked like industrial buildings at night. 

“We will restore everything,” he wrote. 

Reuters could not independently verify Maletskyi’s report. Ukraine’s Air Force warned several times overnight on its Telegram messaging that the city was under threat from Russia’s drone and missile attacks. 

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )