Russia escalates attacks in Ukraine, striking country’s south and east

Russian forces hit critical infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, and launched a series of strikes on energy infrastructure in Zaporozhye early Friday as Moscow stepped up its attacks in southern and eastern Ukraine and air raid sirens went off across much of the country.

Zaporozhye City Council Secretary Anatoly Kurtiev said the city had been hit 17 times in one hour, making it the most intense period of attacks since the start of the large-scale invasion in February 2022, he said.

In Kharkiv, authorities were still trying to get information on casualties and the extent of the destruction, with Mayor Ihor Terekhov saying there could be interruptions to heating, electricity and water supplies.

Military analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes European support for Ukraine will wane as Russia is believed to be preparing a new offensive. Fighting in Ukraine intensified on Thursday.

Kyiv's military intelligence service said Russian forces had launched an offensive in the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions to gain full control of the entire industrial region known as Donbas. Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces there since 2014.