KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� Russia fired a barrage of dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine for a second day on Tuesday, including some that Ukraine鈥檚 president said were shot down by Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets before they reached their targets.
The onslaught killed at least five people, destroying a hotel, homes and residential buildings as well as critical infrastructure in multiple Ukrainian regions.
The capital and other towns and cities endured power outages in sweltering heat.
As it often does in public statements after Russian bombing raids, Ukraine鈥檚 military listed the Russian regions and occupied territories where the weapons were launched. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top officials have called repeatedly for the U.S. to lift restrictions and let Ukraine strike deep inside Russia to hit military infrastructure responsible for the war.
鈥�(The allies) try not to speak with me about it. But I keep raising this topic. Generally, that鈥檚 it. The Olympics are over, but the ping-pong continues,鈥� Zelenskyy said.
He thanked Ukraine's supporters for the F-16s but said there were too few of them and too few pilots trained to fly them.
Among the Russians regions listed as a source of the attack Tuesday was Kursk, where the head of the Ukrainian army said his troops have gained control of nearly 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) since their surprise incursion three weeks ago. That's an area roughly the size of Los Angeles.
Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi also said that Ukraine has captured 594 Russian prisoners in the operation, which he said was intended to draw Russia鈥檚 military away from the fighting in Ukraine. His claims could not be independently confirmed.
The Kursk operation, the largest incursion into Russia since World War II, has forced some 130,000 residents to evacuate their homes. Russia has sent reinforcements into the region, but it was not clear to what extent these movements might be weakening Russia鈥檚 positions in Ukrainian territory.
Fighting in the region has raised concerns about dangers to the Kursk nuclear power plant, said International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, who visited the plant Tuesday. He said in a post on X the situation there was 鈥渟erious鈥� and that any attack on a nuclear plant is unacceptable.
鈥淭here is now a danger of a nuclear incident here,鈥� Russian news agencies cited Grossi as saying. 鈥淭oday I was told about several cases of drone attacks on the territory, on the plant鈥檚 facilities. At the plant I saw traces of these attacks.鈥�
But the plant now is operating 鈥渋n a mode very close to normal,鈥� he said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that Ukraine has suffered heavy casualties in Kursk 鈥� some 6,600 troops either killed or injured 鈥� and that more than 70 tanks have been destroyed along with scores of armored vehicles. Those figures could not be independently confirmed.
Syrskyi鈥檚 claim of territorial control came hours after Ukraine endured a second consecutive barrage of nighttime air and missile attacks from Russia.
Five people were reported killed and 16 injured in the attacks, which Zelenskyy said included 81 drones, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles.
In the Kyiv region, which had struggled with blackouts after Monday's onslaught that targeted energy facilities throughout the country, five air alerts were called during the night. The regional administration said air defenses destroyed all the drones and missiles but that falling debris set off forest fires.
After Monday's barrage across Ukraine of more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said "the energy infrastructure has once again become the target of Russian terrorists鈥� and urged Ukraine鈥檚 allies to provide it with and permission to use them on
The allies 鈥渢ry not to speak with me about it. But I keep raising this topic. Generally, that鈥檚 it. The Olympics are over, but the ping-pong continues,鈥� Zelenskyy said.
President Joe Biden called Monday's Russian attack on energy infrastructure 鈥渙utrageous鈥� and said he had 鈥渞eprioritized U.S. air defense exports so they are sent to Ukraine first.鈥� He also said the U.S. was 鈥渟urging energy equipment to Ukraine to repair its systems and strengthen the resilience of Ukraine鈥檚 energy grid.鈥�
The Russian Defense Ministry said the attacks used 鈥渓ong-range precision air- and sea-based weapons and strike drones against critical energy infrastructure facilities that support the operation of Ukraine鈥檚 military-industrial complex. All designated targets were hit.鈥�
Russian officials reported four Ukrainian missiles were shot down over the Kursk region.
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Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
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Illia Novikov, The Associated Press
