Russian air attacks on major Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv killed at least nine people and wounded dozens early on Tuesday, authorities said, after days of warnings that Moscow was planning a major assault.
Russia has targeted Ukraine's power supply and infrastructure while Ukraine has stepped up attacks this year on Russian oil facilities in a war now more than four years old, sometimes causing casualties, but both deny targeting civilians.
Five people were killed and 25 injured in a Russian missile and drone attack on the southeastern city of Dnipro, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on messaging app Telegram.
All those injured were hospitalised and were reported to be in a moderate condition, he said, posting pictures of heavily damaged residential buildings, burnt-out vehicles and a destroyed children's playground.
At least four were killed and 51 injured, including children, across the capital of Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
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A suspected missile strike on a 24-storey apartment building triggered a collapse, with people likely trapped under the rubble. Other buildings, including a nine-storey apartment block, caught fire from suspected missile debris, he said.
“In the Obolon district, cars are burning after being struck by falling missile debris. There are also fires at two locations in open areas, including one near a kindergarten,” Klitschko said.
Thousands of Kyiv residents were taking refuge in metro stations and other shelters, witnesses said, after air raid warnings covered much of the country early on Tuesday.
Warnings of a major attack
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday reiterated warnings of a potentially major assault and urged residents to pay special attention to air raid alerts.
“Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible, they have prepared one,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
“Our defenders are ready 24/7 to the fullest extent possible with the supplies currently available.”
Russia last week warned that it intended to launch “systematic strikes” on targets in Kyiv linked to the Ukrainian military as well as decision-making centres, and urged foreigners to leave.
It said the action was in response to a drone strike last month on a dormitory in Ukraine's Russian-held Luhansk region, which killed 21 people. Ukraine denied carrying out the attack.
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In Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region, 10 people, including a child, were injured in drone and missile attacks, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram.
Russia's Ilsky oil refinery, in the southern region of Krasnodar, caught fire after a drone attack, local authorities said on Telegram on Tuesday.
Air defence systems were also repelling drone attacks over Sevastopol, a Russian naval fleet base, in Russia-occupied Crimea, authorities there said.
The war in Ukraine has ground on for more than four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Efforts to end the conflict have made little progress, with the administration of US President Donald Trump focused on conflicts in the Middle East.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
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