KYIV, Ukraine –
Russia retaliated Monday for what it claimed was a Ukrainian terrorist assault on a vital bridge by unleashing its largest and most widespread assaults in opposition to Ukraine in months. The deadly barrage in opposition to a number of cities smashed civilian targets, knocking out energy and water, shattering buildings and killing at the very least 11 folks.
Ukraine’s Emergency Service mentioned 64 folks had been wounded in the morning rush hour assaults that Russia launched from the air, sea and land in opposition to at the very least 14 areas, spanning from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the east. Many of the assaults occurred removed from the warfare’s entrance traces.
Though Russia mentioned missiles focused army and power amenities, some struck civilian areas whereas folks had been heading to work and faculty. One hit a playground in downtown Kyiv and one other struck a college.
Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, mentioned the strikes had no “sensible army sense” and that Russia’s objective was to trigger a “humanitarian disaster.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned his forces used “precision weapons” to focus on key power infrastructure and army command amenities in retaliation for Kyiv’s “terrorist” actions — a reference to Ukraine’s makes an attempt to repel Moscow’s invasion forces, together with an assault Saturday on a key bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula that Putin known as a “terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian particular providers.
Putin vowed a “robust” and “proportionate” response ought to Ukraine perform additional assaults that threaten Russia’s safety. “No one ought to have any doubts about it,” he advised Russia’s Security Council by video.
The Russian president has been beneath intense home strain to take extra aggressive motion to cease a largely profitable Ukrainian counteroffensive and to react forcefully to Saturday’s assault on the Kerch bridge, whose building he used to cement his 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Putin’s more and more frequent descriptions of Ukraine’s actions as terrorist may set the stage for much more daring and draconian actions. But in Monday’s speech, Putin — whose partial troop mobilization order final month triggered an exodus of a whole lot of 1000’s of males of combating age from Russia — stopped in need of an anticipated escalation from what he calls a “particular army operation” to a counterterrorism marketing campaign or martial regulation.
Moscow’s warfare in Ukraine is approaching its eight-month milestone, and the Kremlin has been reeling from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas of jap Ukraine it’s making an attempt to annex.
The head of Ukraine’s regulation enforcement mentioned Monday’s assaults nationwide broken 70 infrastructure websites, of which 29 are vital. The Ukrainian General Staff mentioned 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones had been used. Ukrainian forces shot down 56 aerial targets, it mentioned.
Blasts struck in the capital’s Shevchenko district, a big space in the middle that features the historic outdated city and authorities workplaces, Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned.
Some of the strikes hit close to the federal government quarter in the capital’s symbolic coronary heart, the place parliament and other main landmarks are positioned. A glass-covered workplace tower was considerably broken, with most of its blue-tinted home windows blown out.
Zelenskyy, in a video handle, referred to the frenzy hour timing of Monday’s assaults, saying Russia “selected such a time and such targets on function to inflict probably the most injury.”
The strikes despatched residents of Ukraine’s two largest cities — Kyiv and Kharkiv — into bomb shelters, together with subway stations.
While air raid sirens have continued all through the warfare in cities throughout the nation, in Kyiv and elsewhere, many Ukrainians had begun to disregard their warnings after months of calm.
Just as site visitors was starting to choose up Monday morning, a commuter minibus, often called a “marshrutka” — a well-liked different to town’s buses and subways — was struck close to Kyiv National University. Nearby, at the very least one strike landed in Shevchenko Park, leaving a big gap close to a kids’s playground.
Another goal was the Klitschko pedestrian bridge — a landmark in central Kyiv with its glass panels. Closed-circuit tv footage confirmed an enormous explosion beneath the bridge, with smoke rising, and a person operating away after the blast, apparently unharmed. No vital injury to the bridge was instantly obvious.
Air raid sirens sounded in each area of Ukraine besides Russia-annexed Crimea, for 4 straight hours.
Associated Press journalists noticed a number of our bodies at an industrial web site on the outskirts of Dnipro metropolis. Four folks had been killed and 19 injured in town, officers mentioned.
Witnesses mentioned one missile landed in entrance of a bus throughout the morning rush hour, damaging the automobile however not killing any passengers.
Natalia Nesterenko, a mathematician, noticed one missile fly by her Dnipro residence balcony as she was working in her kitchen, then she heard two explosions.
“It’s very harmful. I instantly known as my children to see how they’re as a result of anybody will be hit — ladies, kids,” she mentioned.
Kharkiv was hit thrice, Mayor Ihor Terekhov mentioned. The strikes knocked out the electrical energy and water provide. Energy infrastructure was additionally hit in Lviv, regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi mentioned.
Three cruise missiles launched in opposition to Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova’s airspace, mentioned the nation’s international affairs minister, Nicu Popescu.
The assaults introduced out a recent bout of worldwide condemnation of Russia.
The Group of Seven industrial powers scheduled a videoconference Tuesday on the scenario, which Zelenskyy will handle.
French President Emanuel Macron expressed “excessive concern.” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted that “Russia’s firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable.”
“Russia as soon as once more has proven to the world what it stands for. It is terror and brutality,” mentioned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Some feared Monday’s assaults may be the primary salvo in a renewed Russian offensive. As a precautionary measure, Ukraine switched all faculties to on-line studying till at the very least the top of this week. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba broke off an Africa tour and headed again to Ukraine.
In an ominous transfer, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko introduced Monday that he and Putin have agreed to create a joint “regional grouping of troops.” He provided no particulars. His protection minister, Viktor Khrenin, later issued a video warning Ukraine to not provoke Belarus, however added, “We do not wish to struggle.”
Lukashenko repeated his claims that Ukraine is plotting an assault on Belarus, sparking fears the stage is being set for preemptive motion by Minsk.
Russia retaliated Monday for what it claimed was a Ukrainian terrorist assault on a vital bridge by unleashing its largest and most widespread assaults in opposition to Ukraine in months. The deadly barrage in opposition to a number of cities smashed civilian targets, knocking out energy and water, shattering buildings and killing at the very least 11 folks.
Ukraine’s Emergency Service mentioned 64 folks had been wounded throughout the nation in the morning assaults — the most important and broadest for the reason that early days of the warfare.
Though some missiles apparently focused power amenities, others struck civilian areas throughout the morning rush-hour. One hit a playground in downtown Kyiv and one other struck a central constructing of a neighborhood college.
Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, mentioned there was no “sensible army sense” in the strikes and Russia’s objective was to trigger a “humanitarian disaster.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned the strikes had been in retaliation for what he known as Kyiv’s “terrorist” actions — a reference to Ukraine’s makes an attempt to repel Moscow’s invasion forces, together with an assault Saturday on a key bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula that Putin known as a “terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian particular providers.
Putin vowed a “robust” and “proportionate” response ought to Ukraine perform additional assaults that threaten Russia’s safety. “No one ought to have any doubts about it,” he mentioned.
Speaking in a video name with members of Russia’s Security Council, Putin mentioned the Russian army launched “precision weapons” from the air, sea and floor to focus on key power and army command amenities.
But the extreme hours-long barrage on main cities hit residential areas and demanding infrastructure amenities alike, portending a significant surge in the warfare amid a profitable Ukrainian counteroffensive in current weeks.
The Ukrainian General Staff mentioned 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones had been use in the barrage. Ukrainian forces shot down 56 aerial targets, it mentioned.
Putin, whose partial mobilization order earlier this month triggered an exodus of a whole lot of 1000’s of males of combating age from Russia, stopped in need of declaring martial regulation or a counterterrorism operation as many had anticipated.
Moscow’s warfare in Ukraine is approaching its eight-month milestone, and the Kremlin has been reeling from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas of jap Ukraine it’s making an attempt to annex.
Blasts struck in the capital’s Shevchenko district, a big space in the middle of town that features the historic outdated city in addition to a number of authorities workplaces, Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned.
Some of the strikes hit close to the federal government quarter in the symbolic coronary heart of the capital, the place parliament and other main landmarks are positioned. A glass tower housing workplaces was considerably broken, most of its blue-tinted home windows blown out.
Russian forces focused civilian areas and power amenities in 10 cities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in a video handle. The Russians “selected such a time and such targets on function to inflict probably the most injury,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
The morning strikes despatched Kyiv residents into bomb shelters for the primary time in months. The metropolis’s subway system stopped practice providers and once more made the stations obtainable as locations for refuge.
While air raid sirens have continued all through the warfare in cities throughout the nation, in Kyiv and elsewhere many Ukrainians had begun to disregard their warnings after months of calm.
That modified on Monday morning. The assaults struck Kyiv in the beginning of the morning rush hour, when commuter site visitors was starting to choose up. At least one of many autos struck close to Kyiv National University gave the impression to be a commuter minibus, often called a “marshrutka,” a well-liked different to town’s bus and metro routes.
Nearby, at the very least one strike landed in Shevchenko Park, leaving a big gap close to a kids’s playground.
Among the targets hit was the Klitschko pedestrian bridge — a landmark in central Kyiv with its glass panels. Closed-circuit tv footage confirmed an enormous explosion because the bridge was struck, and a person operating away after the blast.
Elsewhere, Russia focused civilian areas and power infrastructure as air raid sirens sounded in each area of Ukraine besides Russia-annexed Crimea, for 4 straight hours — an assault that spanned from Kharkiv in the east to Lviv in the west, close to the Polish border.
Associated Press journalists in Dnipro metropolis noticed the our bodies of a number of folks killed at an industrial web site on town’s outskirts. Four folks had been killed and 19 injured in town, native officers mentioned.
Witnesses mentioned one missile landed in entrance of a bus throughout the morning rush hour. Despite heavy injury to the automobile, officers mentioned no passengers had been killed.
Natalia Nesterenko, a mathematician, mentioned she noticed one missile fly by her Dnipro residence balcony as she was working in her kitchen. Then she heard two explosions.
“It’s very harmful. I instantly known as my children to see how they’re as a result of anybody will be hit. Women, kids,” she mentioned.
Kharkiv was hit thrice, Mayor Ihor Terekhov mentioned. The strikes knocked out the electrical energy and water provide. Energy infrastructure was additionally hit in Lviv, regional Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi mentioned.
Three cruise missiles launched in opposition to Ukraine from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova’s airspace, mentioned the nation’s international affairs minister, Nicu Popescu.
The assaults introduced out a recent bout of worldwide condemnation of Russia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, mentioned the Group of Seven industrial powers will maintain a videoconference Tuesday on the scenario which Zelenskyy will handle. Germany at present chairs the G-7.
The assaults introduced a refrain of shock in Europe. French President Emanuel Macron expressed “excessive concern.” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted that “Russia’s firing of missiles into civilian areas of Ukraine is unacceptable.”
“Russia as soon as once more has proven to the world what it stands for. It is terror and brutality,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Some feared Monday’s assaults may be the primary salvo in a renewed Russian offensive. Ukraine’s Ministry of Education introduced that every one faculties in Ukraine would swap to on-line at the very least till the top of this week. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba broke off his Africa tour and headed again to Ukraine.
In an ominous transfer, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko introduced Monday that he and Putin have agreed to deploy a joint “regional grouping of troops” amid the escalation of combating in Ukraine. He provided no particulars.
Lukashenko repeated his claims that Ukraine is plotting an assault on Belarus, sparking fears the stage is being set for preemptive motion by Minsk.
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Sabra Ayres in Kyiv, Vasilisa Stepanenko in Kharkiv, and Justin Spike and Yesica Fisch in Dnipro, contributed to this story.