Russia hit energy infrastructure in northern Ukraine in an overnight missile and drone attack and caused a huge fire in the west of the country, resulting in an increase in chlorine levels in the air, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian forces shot down three ballistic missiles and 25 of the 26 drones launched in the attack on nine regions across the country, Ukraine's air force commander said.

Regional officials in the northeastern Sumy region bordering Russia said an energy facility was hit, causing blackouts for 72 settlements and more than 18,500 consumers.

Energy workers rushed to repair the damage, the regional administration said on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukrainian energy facilities have come under nearly daily bombardment over the past six months as the war grinds on following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukraine buys electricity from its neighbours in the European Union but not enough to make up the deficit. Power cuts are regularly announced during peak evening consumption hours.

An industrial facility was attacked in the western region of Ternopil during the latest bombardments, and a fuel reservoir was hit, officials said.

Ukrainian television showed huge columns of black smoke rising over Ternopil.

The burning fuel and lubricant materials had raised chlorine levels in the air, a deputy head of the Ternopil regional administration, Viktor Ustenko, said. Authorities urged people to stay indoors.

More than 90 firefighters were involved in efforts to extinguish the fire, Ustenko added. "The situation is fully under control," he said.

An attack on Kyiv was repelled without major damage or casualties, city officials said.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow about Tuesday's attacks. Both sides say they target facilities key to the military and not civilian infrastructure, but many civilians have been killed in the war.

Moscow has continued airstrikes since Ukrainian forces began an incursion into Russia's Kursk region on Aug. 6, and Russian forces have been gradually advancing in parts of eastern Ukraine.

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Ukrainian troops move deeper into Russia.

Fire burns for third day at Russian oil depot hit by Ukrainian drone strike

Russian authorities are still struggling to put out a fire at an oil depot in the Rostov region, three days after it was struck by Ukrainian drones.

Russian state media says the fire has burned an area of at least 10,000 square metres in the town of Proletarsk.

Their reports say 500 firefighters are attempting to tackle the blaze, but at least 41 of them have been hospitalised due to injuries.

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the drone strike on the depot, which had been used to supply Russia's army.

Ukrainian media posted video of the depot on X.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its offensive in Russia's Kursk region, of which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says forces have occupied 1,250 square kilometres and 92 settlements.

Zelenskyy says the incursion has allowed the Ukrainian army to capture a significant number of Russian prisoners, who could be used in a prisoner swap with Russia.

He also says the incursion aims to create a buffer zone to stop Russian long-range attacks on Ukraine.

Russia is continuing to grapple with Ukraine's incursion in the region, with new satellite photographs showing its forces attempting to build temporary bridges to replace those blown up by Ukrainian troops.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has also released footage of what it says shows the bodies of soldiers and damaged Ukrainian military vehicles scattered across a road in the Kursk region.

It says forces from the 810th Separate Guards Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet faced Ukrainian troops in the region.

"During the clash, nine units of enemy military equipment were destroyed, including a Stryker and Kozak armoured personnel carriers, a HMMWV armoured car, as well as militants of the 82nd separate airborne Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Two Stryker armoured personnel carriers, a Canadian Roshel SARV armoured car and a Cougar mine-fighting vehicle were captured, as well as several enemy servicemen", an official MoD statement reads.

Elsewhere, Russia says a Lancet drone has destroyed a Ukrainian M777 howitzer in the Volchansky district of the Kharkiv region and a SU-34 fighter-bomber jet has struck a Ukrainian Armed Forces command post and ammunition and weaponry depot near Glukhov in the Sumy region.

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