In Ukraine, deaths from hypothermia rise as Russia attacks energy system

"No one was hurt when the first Russian drone hit Taira Sluisarenko's apartment building in eastern Kyiv on the night after her 16th birthday. I was sitting on the bathroom floor and right away felt [the explosion] shook us more than usual, shattering windows and outer walls of apartments several storeys above hers, she told Al Jazeera about the January 9 attack."

"Thirty minutes later, a blast outside the building killed Serhiy Smolyak, a 56-year-old emergency medic, and wounded his colleagues. Russia launched 242 drones and 36 missiles that night, including an Oreshnik ballistic missile that Russian President Vladimir Putin calls meteor-like. It flies at 13,000 kilometres per hour (8,077 miles per hour) and cannot be intercepted by advanced Western air defence systems. The assault killed four people and wounded dozens overall and destroyed energy infrastructure."

At least ten Ukrainians have died from cold-related illness as Russian assaults cut heat to thousands across Ukraine. Drone and missile strikes have repeatedly targeted energy infrastructure, leaving millions without power, heat, or running water amid temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius. Attack tactics have included double-tap strikes and mass drone barrages, with at least one night involving 242 drones and 36 missiles, including a high-speed Oreshnik ballistic missile. The assaults have killed and wounded civilians and emergency workers and have overwhelmed building backup systems, generators, and localized heating solutions, exacerbating winter humanitarian needs.

Read at www.aljazeera.com