Russian forces launched a barrage of fatal bombardments across Ukraine early on Monday, in apparent retaliation for an explosion that damaged a key bridge to Moscow-annexed Crimea.
\nThe biggest wave of strikes across Ukraine in months killed at least five people in Kyiv and came hours ahead of a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s security council.
\nUkraine\u2019s most senior military general said Russian forces had fired 75 missiles on cities across the country, in a wave of attacks that included Iranian drones and was the first Russian strike on Kyiv since late June.
\n\u201cWe were sleeping when we heard the first explosion. We woke up, went to check and then the second explosion came,\u201d Ksenia Ryazantseva, a 39-year-old language teacher told AFP.
\n\u201cWe didn\u2019t understand what was going on \u2026 well, we are at war,\u201d she added.
\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an address to the nation early on Monday said the morning had been \u201cdifficult\u201d and explained that Russian forces had two targets with its barrage of strikes.
\n\u201cThey want panic and chaos and they want to destroy our energy system,\u201d Zelensky said, announcing that Russian bombs had targeted cities including Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in the centre of the country and Lviv in the east.
\n\u2018Demonstration of weakness\u2019
\n\u201cThe second target is people,\u201d he said, accusing Moscow\u2019s army of launching the strikes with aim of \u201ccausing as much damage as possible\u201d.
\nUK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that the Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and several other cities were \u201cunacceptable\u201d.
\n\u201cThis is a demonstration of weakness by [Vladimir] Putin, not strength,\u201d he tweeted, adding that he had contacted his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
\nZelensky said on social media, meanwhile, that he had spoken with the leaders of France and Germany and urged them to \u201cincrease pressure\u201d on Russia.
\n\u201cWe discussed the strengthening of our air defence, the need for a tough European and international reaction, as well as increased pressure on the Russian Federation,\u201d Zelensky wrote on Twitter following his call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
\nIn Kyiv, the national police service said that at least five people had been killed and another dozen were wounded.
\nUkrainian officials said the central Shevchenkivskyi district of the city was hit and that a university, museums and the philharmonic building had been damaged in the strikes.
\nOne AFP journalist in the city said one of the projectiles landed near a children\u2019s playground, and that smoke was rising from a large crater at the impact site.
\nSeveral trees and benches nearby were charred from the blast, while several ambulances had arrived in the area.
\n\u201cIf there is no urgent need, it\u2019s better not to go to the city today. I am also asking the residents of the suburbs about this \u2014 do not go to the capital today.\u201d
\nVideos posted on social media showed black smoke rising above several areas in the city.
\nUkrainian officials including Zelensky urged residents to remain indoors and the mayor of the capital said residents living outside Kyiv should remain outside the city.
\nIn the western city of Lviv, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said there were disruptions to electricity and hot water services cuts after bombardments that targeted critical infrastructure, including energy facilities.
\nEx-Soviet Moldova said several of Russian cruise missiles targeting Ukraine had crossed its airspace and summoned Moscow\u2019s envoy to demand an explanation.
\n\u201cOur thoughts are with the victims of the brutal strikes,\u201d Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said on Twitter.
\nMoldova has a small breakaway region, Transnistria, which is armed and supported by Russia.
\nCrimea bridge attack
\nBelarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, meanwhile claimed on Monday that Ukraine was preparing an attack on his country\u2019s territory.
\nThe across Ukraine strikes came a day after Moscow blamed Ukraine for the blast on a bridge linking Crimea to Russia, leaving three people dead.
\n\u201cThe authors, perpetrators and sponsors are the Ukrainian secret services,\u201d Russian President Vladimir Putin said of Saturday\u2019s Crimea bridge bombing, which he described as a \u201cterrorist act\u201d.
\nThe Kremlin said earlier that Putin would be meeting with members of his security council on Monday.
\nThe blast that hit the bridge sparked celebrations from Ukrainians and others on social media.
\nBut Zelensky, in his nightly address on Saturday, did not directly mention the incident, and officials in Kyiv have made no direct claim of responsibility.
\nOn Saturday, Russia said some road and rail traffic had resumed over the strategic link, a symbol of the Kremlin\u2019s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
\nThe 19-kilometre bridge is also a vital supply link between Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.
\nSome military analysts argue that the blast could have a major impact if Moscow sees the need to shift already hard-pressed troops to Crimea from other regions \u2014 or if it prompts a rush by residents to leave.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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