Kiev [Ukraine], October 12: At least two people have been killed in a Russian airstrike on the city of Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, authorities said on Saturday, as two energy sector employees were killed in a separate attack on the northern region of Chernihiv.
The casualties came as Russia and Ukraine traded drone attacks, with dozens of towns in Ukraine's southern Odessa region left without power while Russian authorities reported several strikes.
Military administrator Sergiy Gorbunov said in a Facebook post that four civilians were also injured in Kostiantynivka when a bomb struck next to an Orthodox church, which was severely damaged.
The city, located only a few kilometres from the front line in eastern Ukraine, has repeatedly been attacked and large parts of the urban area have been destroyed.
Gorbunov said another civilian suffered minor injuries when a second guided aerial bomb hit the surrounding area. The blast wave damaged nine private houses, he added.
Two killed in Chernihiv Meanwhile, two energy company workers were killed in a Russian drone attack in the Chernihiv region, civil defence authorities said.
The drones struck the company's service vehicles in the area of Semenivka, which is near the border with Russia, according to a post on Telegram.
One man died of his injuries at the scene, while the second died in hospital. Four other employees were injured.
In the region's central Nizhyn district, drones also targeted infrastructure facilities, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished by rescue workers.
"Despite the danger of repeated strikes, Chernihiv's rescue workers are continuing their work at an increased pace to help those affected and deal with the consequences of the Russian attacks," the civil defence authorities said.
The authorities later reported that the warhead of an unexploded Iskander missile had been defused. The rocket hit near a gas station next to residential buildings.
Power cuts in Odessa region In total, Russia attacked Ukraine in the north, south and east with 78 drones during the night, according to the Ukrainian air force.
Fifty-four flying objects were shot down or crashed, but more than 20 drones struck six different locations, the military said.
The Russian Defence Ministry said missiles were used in addition to drones. The targets were the transport and energy infrastructure used by the Ukrainian armed forces.
Damage was inflicted on energy infrastructure in the city of Odessa and the surrounding region, according to civil defence officials and the public prosecutor's office.
In the regional capital, fires broke out in an energy plant and a three-storey building belonging to a hotel and restaurant complex.
One woman was injured and two people were rescued, officials said. A total of 41 towns in the region were left without power.
War approaches fourth winter Ukraine has been fighting to repel a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three and a half years.
The government in Kiev accuses Russia of targeting energy infrastructure in order to deprive the population of light and heating before the onset of winter.
The attacks are also aimed at pressuring the Ukrainian leadership into agreeing to a peace agreement on Moscow's terms, according to Kiev, which rejects any surrender scenario.
Ukraine has attacked targets deep within Russia repeatedly in an effort to undermine Moscow's war effort.
In the latest incident, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that 42 Ukrainian drones were shot down, most of them in the southern Volgograd region.
In the city of Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, parts of a downed drone crashed into residential buildings, school buildings and a kindergarten, according to Governor Andrei Bocharov.
Windows were shattered and one man was injured, he said. The regional health authorities reported that three children were also taken to hospital with stress reactions.
The Russian city of Belgorod, just 50 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, was also once again targeted.
According to Russian media, numerous drones were shot down over the urban area. Falling debris caused rubbish to catch fire, as reported by the TASS news agency.
Telegram users reported a power outage, although there was no official confirmation. The region's military staff had previously only spoken of "possible short-term power cuts as a result of enemy attacks" in a statement.
Source: Qatar Tribune