Russian missiles kill a dozen people in major cities, including Kiev, which has been out of war since June
Twenty-four hours after Vladimir Putin directly blamed Ukraine for the explosion on the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia to Crimea, Moscow launched 83 missiles at various points in Ukraine. Half of them were intercepted by anti-aircraft fire, the Kiev Ministry of Defense said. It was Putin’s revenge for what he called a “terrorist act” that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 60. The projectiles struck almost simultaneously in the main cities of the country, such as Kharkov, Dnipro, Lviv or Melitopol, but the bloodiest attack was carried out in the center of Kiev, where eight civilians were killed. It was the first against the capital since June and again reminded the Lapwings that although the front is far away, they are still in the enemy’s sights. The most affected area was the Shevchenkiv district, where the university is located.
As Putin brings forward the weekly Security Council meeting in Moscow, projectiles rained in Ukraine. The Kremlin leader said the operation consisted of “massive long-range strikes with high-precision weapons against Ukraine’s energy, military and communications infrastructure”. In Kiev, Volodymyr Zelensky described the day as “difficult” and explained that the troops sought “panic and chaos” and “wanted to destroy the energy system”. The missiles left large parts of the country without electricity and service was interrupted for two hours in the capital.
The Ukrainian president also used the word “terrorism” to put Russia’s role into perspective and announced an agreement with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to hold an “urgent” G7 meeting after the bombings. Zelensky confirmed that he will attend this summit via videoconference, pointing out that in addition to missiles, the enemy also used “Shahed” kamikaze drones purchased from the Iranians.
Kiev authorities maintained maximum alertness throughout the day and asked citizens to stay close to shelters. In Zaporizhia, they suffered the third attack in the past week, and the “precision” Putin spoke of was once again targeting civilians. An ‘S300’ rocket hit a five-storey building in the center of this southern city, killing at least two. The rescue services worked tirelessly as ten neighbors who spent the night in the basement became trapped under the rubble. The Russians systematically use these projectiles, which are actually anti-missiles, to hit this city. On Thursday, 17 people were killed and 12 civilians were killed in similar attacks on their homes on Saturday.
Revenge, this is what led Putin to launch this offensive. He was injured by the blow we received on the bridge and he wanted to put on a show of force,” said Leonid, a 69-year-old former army colonel, who is working to repair the damage he sustained in his apartment, where no one had been left behind. window has been preserved.
Next door, Maya, 39, is preparing her son Oleg, 5, for a trip to Dnipro. “We first escaped the Russian occupation and left our home in Pologie to take shelter in Zaporizhzhya. Now we drive another sixty miles north in hopes of being safe. This place is scary because the missile can hit anyone. It’s a lottery. There are no close military targets here. Houses alone and every night you go to sleep thinking it could be your turn. I can’t stand it anymore,” Maya says.
She also has no doubts that “we paid for Putin’s anger for the explosion on the bridge and in Zaporizhzhya.” They go downstairs with their belongings in several plastic bags and an army of firefighters waits downstairs to rescue neighbors trapped in the rubble. Little Oleg looks at the rubble and at the fire truck, from which a large ladder rises. “He’s 5 years old, but he knows very well that we’re at war,” Maya explains, gripping his hand tightly. They have to start over.
Source: La Verdad
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