The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was subjected to another missile attack on Monday morning, marking the first strike in months, according to reports.
Several other Ukrainian cities have been targeted by attacks over recent days as Russia retaliates in the aftermath of Saturday’s explosion which hit a key Russian bridge in Crimea.
Reporters based in Kyiv for the Guardian have said they heard a number of missiles passing overhead and claimed at least one hit its target, while a fourth explosion was heard moments later.
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The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed there have been “several hits on objects of the city’s critical infrastructure,” on Telegram.
Meanwhile, Lesia Vasylenko, who is a member of the Ukrainian parliament, posted a picture on Twitter showing the effects of an explosion near the main building of the Kyiv National University.
Ukrainians knew there would be retaliation from the Russians after Saturday’s explosion collapsed part of the Kerch bridge - which links the occupied Crimean peninsula to mainland Russia.
Among the other areas targeted overnight were the city of Zaporizhzhia and the port city of Mykolaiv.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to wipe his country “off the face of the earth.”
“They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth, destroy our people who are sleeping at home in [the city of] Zaporizhzhia.
“Kill people who go to work in Dnipro and Kyiv,” Mr. Zelenskyy posted on the Telegram messaging app.
“The air raid sirens do not subside throughout Ukraine. There are missiles hitting. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded.”
Meanwhile, Putin is due to meet with his national security council today (Monday) to discuss the explosion that hit the Kerch bridge and some believe this is an indication that Moscow may be planning to escalate things in Ukraine.
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