A wave of strikes hit Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities on Monday morning. causing many deaths and damage to infrastructure. The missile strikes are believed to be a retaliation to the attack on the Crimean bridge on Saturday.
The death toll is expected to rise due to the attacks on multiple cities. Five people were killed and 12 injured in Kyiv, which was targeted for the first time since June 26.
There also strikes were reported in Lviv in the west of Ukraine, as well as Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in the south.
On Monday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin was also gathering his security council two days after the partial destruction of the Crimean bridge, connecting Russia to the occupied peninsula.
Responding to the attack on Telegram, President Zelenskyy stated: "They want to cause panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system. They are hopeless.... Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible."
"The capital is under attack by Russian terrorists," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated on Telegram, calling on residents to stay indoors.
"Hard to underestimate the cynicism of targeting a capital city during Monday morning rush hour. It’s an act of desperation, of course," he tweeted separately.
Putin's security council will bring together ministers, political leaders, security officers, and the army. On Sunday, Putin accused Kyiv of organising the explosion which partially destroyed the Crimean bridge, calling it a "terrorist act".
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Ukraine hasn't officially reacted to President Putin's claims but Mykhailo Podolyakm, a key advisor to President Zelenskyy, said this accusation of terrorism "sounds too cynical even for Russia."
The explosion of the bridge, which was inaugurated by Putin himself in 2018, is considered a key symbol of Crime's annexation in 2014. The blast constitutes a new setback for Russia at a time when its forces are struggling in Ukraine.
