Russia's military launches deadly missile strikes on cities across Ukraine

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Russia's military launched a large-scale missile attack on Kyiv and cities across Ukraine on Thursday, as at least four deaths were reported in Lviv, according to Ukrainian officials and multiple reports.

The big picture: There were reports of widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure in Kharkiv and Odesa, along with power blackouts. The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant lost power due to the strikes, Ukrainian operator Energoatom said.

• Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said in a Facebook post that Russian shelling had been reported at facilities in the Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk and Zhytomyr regions.
• Kyiv mayor Vitalii Klitschko said in a Telegram post that 40% of the capital's residents were without heating following a missile strike.
• In Lviv, the head of the regional military administration said on Telegram that two men and two women died after a rocket fell in a residential area.

Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Armed Forcesof Ukraine said in a Facebook post that its forces had "repelled attacks" on the key eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and on surrounding communities."

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.