KYIV (AFP) – Russian forces launched a barrage of fatal bombardments across Ukraine early yesterday, in an apparent retaliation for an explosion that damaged a key bridge to Moscow-annexed Crimea.
The 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’s security council.
Ukraine’s 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.
“We were sleeping when we heard the first explosion. We woke up, went to check and then the second explosion came,” Ksenia Ryazantseva, a 39-year-old language teacher told AFP.
“We didn’t understand what was going on… well, we are at war,” she added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an address to the nation early yesterday said the morning had been “difficult” and explained that Russian forces had two targets with its barrage of strikes.
“They want panic and chaos and they want to destroy our energy system,” Zelensky said, announcing that Russian bombs had targetted cities including Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in the centre of the country and Lviv in the east.
“The second target is people,” he said, accusing Moscow’s army of launching the strikes with aim of “causing as much damaged as possible.
United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that the Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and several other cities were “unacceptable”.
“This is a demonstration of weakness by (Vladimir) Putin, not strength,” he tweeted, adding that he had contacted his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
Zelensky said on social media meanwhile he had spoken with the leaders of France and Germany and urged them to “increase pressure” on Russia.
“We 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,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter following his call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
In Kyiv, the national police service said that at least five people had been killed and another dozen were wounded.
Ukrainian officials said the central Shevkenko district of the city was hit and that a university, museums and the philharmonic building had been damaged in the strikes.
One AFP journalist in the city said one of the projectiles landed near a children’s playground, and that smoke was rising from a large crater at the impact site.
Several trees and benches nearby were charred from the blast, while several ambulances had arrived in the area.
“If there is no urgent need, it’s better not to go to the city today. I am also asking the residents of the suburbs about this – do not go to the capital today.”
Videos posted on social media showed black smoke rising above several areas in the city.
