Russia deploys strategic bombers to launch cruise missiles on Ukraine

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The Ukrainian military said at least 76 missiles were fired at Ukraine on Friday and that 60 were intercepted.

Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih's military administration, said two civilians were killed and eight were injured in the strikes.

Russian Ilyushin-76 A50U and Mig-31K aircraft were airborne over Belarus during the raid, Ukrainian forces said. The Ilyushin-76 A50U is designed to function as an early warning and control aircraft and the Mig-31K is capable of deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which are difficult to intercept. It was unclear if the weapons were used in Friday's raid.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Inhat said Kh-555 and Kh-101 cruise missiles were launched from the Tu-95 bombers in the area of the Engles air base in Russia. The Tu-95 is designed to carry nuclear weapons but can also fire cruise missiles and conventional munitions.

The head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said the region was hit by 10 Russian S-300 missiles.

"This morning began at 7 a.m., when a Russian S-300 missile hit a hospital in Kupyansk. Rescuers are working there. There were several hits on critical infrastructure in Kharkiv city and in Chuhuiv district of Kharkiv region," Syniehubov said on Telegram.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said nine power facilities were damaged by the strikes. The attack disrupted services throughout Ukraine.

"Due to damage to the power system and emergency power outages, subway trains will not be running today until the end of the day," the Kyiv city administration said in a Telegram post.

The United States condemned Friday's raid. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby accused Russia of "again trying to put fear into the hearts of the Ukrainian people and to make it that much harder on them as winter is now upon them."

The founder of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, accused France of being behind a parcel explosion that injured a Russian citizen closely linked to the mercenary army at the "Russian House" in the Central African Republic.

"Before losing consciousness, Dmitry Syty managed to say: 'I saw a note: This is for you from all the French, the Russians will get out of Africa,'" Prigozhin wrote in a Telegram post.

This article originally appeared on UPI.com