Russia-Ukraine War: A day after Moscow accused Kyiv of being responsible for an explosion on a bridge linking Crimea to Russia, Ukraine’s presidency said on Monday that there had been strikes on “several” locations within the country.
“Ukraine is being hit by missiles. According to information on social media, strikes have been reported in numerous places around our nation. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the president’s office, advised the populace to “remain in shelters.”
Around 8:15 a.m. local time (05:15 a.m. GMT), explosions erupted in Kyiv, and an AFP reporter in the city observed a large number of ambulances moving in that direction. On Monday morning, Kyiv heard at least five explosions.
Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, posted on social media, “Several explosions in the Shevchenkivskyi neighbourhood — in the centre of the capital.”
Videos shared on social media showed black smoke spouting above a number of metropolitan neighbourhoods.
On June 26, Russia launched its most recent attack on Kiev.
The blasts occurred a day after Moscow attributed the explosion on the bridge connecting Crimea to Russia, which claimed the lives of three people, on Ukraine.
The Crimea bridge bombing on Saturday was referred to as a “terrorist attack” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who added that the Ukrainian secret services were the “writers, perpetrators, and sponsors.”
According to Russian news outlets, Vladimir Putin was speaking during a meeting with the chairman of the investigation team he established to examine into the bombing.
The Kremlin informed regional news organisations that the Russian president is preparing for a meeting with his Security Council later on Monday.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the president will meet with the permanent members of the Security Council on Wednesday.
Social media users from other countries as well as Ukrainians rejoiced after the explosion that hit the bridge.
The incident was not specifically mentioned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his nightly speech on Saturday, and no one in Kyiv has taken responsibility for it.
The strategic link, which serves as a reminder of the Kremlin’s takeover of Crimea in 2014, saw the return of some rail and road traffic on Saturday, according to Russia.
The 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge serves as a crucial supply route between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which has been annexed.
Some military observers contend that the explosion might have a significant effect if Moscow feels the need to divert troops from other regions to the Crimea, which is already understaffed, or if it causes a rush of evacuees.
Even if Kyiv was not responsible for the explosion, Mick Ryan, a retired Australian senior officer who is now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, claimed that it represented “a tremendous influence operation win for Ukraine.”
He wrote on Twitter that it was evidence that neither Russians nor the rest of the world could trust the military to defend any of the recently seized provinces.
Ruthless attacks
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, there have been fatalities and injuries as a result of numerous strikes on Ukrainian cities, including the first bombardment of the capital in months.
“Around Ukraine, air raid sirens are still blaring. Sadly, there are also casualties and injuries. President Zelensky pleaded with people not to leave the shelters on social media, accusing Russia of intending to “wipe us off the face of the Earth.”
In the meantime, President Zelensky condemned a Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia on Sunday that left at least 13 people dead, including one child. This was the most recent fatal shelling of the southern Ukrainian city.
According to a statement from the president’s office, the incident also left 89 people injured, including 11 children.
The “merciless attacks on peaceful individuals” and residential structures, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, were “pure wickedness” committed by “savages and terrorists.”
Oleksandr Starukh, a regional official, shared images of severely damaged apartment buildings on Telegram and announced the start of a rescue mission to locate victims under the wreckage.
In the meantime, Russian officials condemned Sunday what they claimed was an uptick in Ukrainian fire into their territory that had hit residences, office buildings, and a monastery.
A local AFP reporter reported that smoke was emerging from a sizable hole at the impact location and that one of the rockets had hit close to a playground.
A number of neighbouring trees and benches were scorched by the explosion, and numerous ambulances had arrived.
The nation’s capital is being attacked by Russian terrorists! On social media, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kiev, added that the city centre had been affected by the strikes.
“It is best to stay home today if there is no pressing reason to travel. Do not visit the capital today, I am also pleading with the suburbanites.”
Videos shared on social media showed black smoke spouting above a number of metropolitan neighbourhoods.
The FBS in Russia, which is in charge of border security, declared on Sunday that there have been a significant increase in Ukrainian armed formation attacks on Russian border territory since the beginning of October.
The statement said that more than a hundred artillery attacks had targeted residential and office buildings in Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk, three western border regions.
Five people were injured and one person died as a result of the attacks.
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