Police in Ukraine have reported at least ten deaths after the Russian military attacked the country’s infrastructure on Monday morning. Some 60 others were injured, according to preliminary figures.
“We call on all citizens not to ignore air raid alerts. This morning showed how important it is to be disciplined and follow all instructions from the authorities,” police spokeswoman Mariana Reva said.
President Vladimir Zelensky claimed that Russia timed its attacks for the early morning to hit “Ukrainian people.”
Ukraine’s Air Force said its defense system had been successful in stopping some of the missiles. Spokesman, Yury Ignat, explained during a TV interview that Russia launched at least 83 projectiles of various types and claimed that Ukraine had intercepted 43 of them.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal said 11 key infrastructure objects in various parts of the country had been damaged in the assault. Power outages and issues with water supply and phone services have been reported throughout Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed launching the attacks in retaliation for what he described as Ukraine’s repeated attempts to sabotage critical civilian infrastructure.
The president identified an export gas pipeline, high-voltage power lines connecting a nuclear power plant to the grid and the Crimean Bridge among the targets of Ukrainian sabotage operations. Putin said Russia will no longer tolerate such “terrorist” tactics from Kiev.