Russian defence ministry says it hit Ukrainian steel plants, power infrastructure overnight

Local residents walk along a sidewalk as smoke rises over a street following a Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. (EPA Images pic) MOSCOW: Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday it had carried out a large-scale overnight attack on Ukrainian infrastructure targets, including the country's largest steelworks in the city of Kryvyi Rih.

The plant is owned by steel giant ArcelorMittal, which suspended the facility's operations in September after a series of Russian ballistic missile strikes.

In a statement, the ministry said the plant supplied steel products to the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.

It said Russian forces had also hit an electricity substation in the northwestern city of Zhytomyr and another steel plant in Zaporizhzhia, a city near the front line.

A cargo vessel in the Black Sea was also hit, it said, alleging that it was delivering military cargo to Ukraine's Odesa port.

Reuters could not independently confirm the ministry's report.