Russian strikes kill 11 in Ukraine amid heatwave

On Monday, Russian missiles and drones struck Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 civilians and injuring 40 more, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to denounce the "horrific attacks." A drone targeted a passenger minibus in Zaporizhzhia, leading to some casualties. The assaults also compromised the energy infrastructure amid a heatwave, with temperatures surpassing 36°C, causing power outages across eight regions. The grid operator, Ukrenergo, indicated that the high demand for electricity from air conditioning worsened the situation. Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's energy network has suffered tens of billions of dollars in damages, leading to frequent outages during severe weather. Sergii Kovalenko, CEO of Yasno, remarked that the current heat poses a significant challenge for equipment that has endured over four years of wartime conditions and multiple attacks. Notably, Luhansk recorded Ukraine's highest temperature of 42°C in August 2010.