Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used Iranian drones in the attack.
New Delhi:
Russia bombed cities across Ukraine during rush hour on Monday, killing civilians and damaging infrastructure in apparent revenge strikes after a blast on the Crimean bridge. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used Iranian drones in the attack.
Here's your 10-point cheatsheet to this big story:
- At least 75 missiles tore into Ukraine, with fatal strikes targeting the capital Kyiv and cities in the south and west, the head of the country's military said. It was the most intense strikes on the capital since Russia abandoned an attempt to capture it in the early weeks of the war.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia timed its strikes on Ukraine to inflict the greatest possible losses among people and had also targeted the country's energy infrastructure
- "This morning is difficult. We are dealing with terrorists. Dozens of missiles and Iranian Shaheds. They have two targets. Energy facilities throughout the country," Zelensky said in a video address on social media, adding that "the second target is people".
- The city of Lviv in western Ukraine was hit with electricity and hot water cuts after bombardments that targeted critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said.
- At one of Kyiv's busiest road junctions, a massive crater had been blown in the intersection. Cars were destroyed, buildings were damaged and emergency workers were on the scene.
- Moldova said Monday that Russian cruise missiles targeting Ukraine had crossed its airspace, and summoned Moscow's envoy to demand an explanation. "Three cruise missiles launched on Ukraine this morning from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova's airspace," Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu said on Twitter.
- The strikes came a day after Moscow blamed Ukraine for the blast on a bridge linking Crimea to Russia, leaving three people dead.
- "The authors, perpetrators and sponsors are the Ukrainian secret services," Russian President Vladimir Putin said of Saturday's Crimea bridge bombing, which he described as a "terrorist act".
- The Russian Leader Is Gearing Up For A Meeting With His Security Council Later Monday, The Kremlin Told Local News Agencies.
- Zelensky, in his nightly address on Saturday, did not directly mention the incident, and officials in Kyiv have made no direct claim of responsibility.
