Russia unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities Monday, smashing civilian targets including downtown Kyiv where at least six people were killed amid burnt-out cars and shattered buildings that brought back into focus the grim reality of war after months of easing tensions in the capital.
According to the AP, Police said a total of at least 10 people were killed and around 60 others were wounded in the morning attacks across Ukraine. The country’s Emergency Service said nine people were killed. The conflicting numbers couldn’t immediately be reconciled.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose military invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, said the strikes were in retaliation for what he called Kyiv’s “terrorist” actions — a reference to Ukraine’s attempts to repel Moscow’s invasion forces and cripple their supply lines. The actions he referred to include an attack last weekend on a key bridge, prized by the Kremlin, between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
The barrage of strikes — from Lviv in the west to Mykolaiv in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast — slammed into civilian areas and apparently also sought to cripple energy facilities as winter approaches. The explosions blew out the windows of buildings in central Kyiv, set vehicles ablaze, and sent residents scrambling for shelter at a time when many were heading for school or work.
According to the NYT, The attacks demonstrated that Russia still has the ability to strike deep into Ukraine and terrorize civilians, even as Moscow’s forces struggle on the battlefield in the eighth month of their invasion. Ukrainian troops have reclaimed more than 1,200 miles of territory in the east and south in recent weeks, and Mr. Putin has faced mounting criticism of his army’s performance and growing opposition to his call-up of hundreds of thousands of civilians into military service.
