Children’s playground hit in attack, official says

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, accused Ukraine of preparing strikes on Belarus, and warned the country against possible attacks, state media Belta reported Monday.

“Yesterday, through unofficial channels, we were warned about strikes against Belarus from the territory of Ukraine,” Lukashenko reportedly said at a meeting on security issues.

Referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and others, Lukashenko warned that what had happened to the Kerch bridge would seem like nothing “if only they touch at least one meter of our territory with their dirty hands.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference on September 30.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg criticized “Russia’s horrific and indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.”

Stoltenberg tweeted that he had spoken with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

He added that NATO “will continue supporting the brave Ukrainian people to fight back against the Kremlin’s aggression for as long as it takes.”

European allies roundly condemned Russian airstrikes that hit Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities on Monday morning.

“Deeply shocked by Russia’s attacks on civilians in #Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. Such acts have no place in (the) 21st century. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms,” the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell said.

“We stand with Ukraine. Additional military support from the EU is on its way,” Borrell tweeted Monday.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted that the “bombardment of Kyiv and of civilian targets in many other cities is a reprehensible act by Russia.

“It is an unacceptable escalation of violence that strengthens Belgium’s resolve in supporting the people of Ukraine and their brave fight for a free and sovereign nation,” he added.

Moscow has declined to confirm Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s announcement that Russia and Belarus will “deploy a joint regional group of troops.”

When asked about Lukashenko’s comments, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “Interaction in various fields, including defense, is constantly discussed in the course of bilateral contacts between Putin and Lukashenko.”

In recent days, tensions between Belarus and Ukraine have risen, with the Belarusian Foreign Ministry accusing Kyiv of planning an attack on its territory.

In turn the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said “this information is not true.”

“We categorically reject these latest insinuations by the Belarusian regime. We cannot rule out that this diplomatic note may be part of a provocation on the part of the Russian Federation to further incriminate Ukraine.

“Ukraine has never encroached on foreign territories. We strictly adhere to the fundamental norms and principles of international law and the UN Charter,” the ministry added.

“(In) Belarus, military inspections have been extended until October 15. Also, once again, the closure of the airspace in the southern regions of this country was continued,” the Ukrainian military said at the weekend.

A fire on the Kerch bridge at in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, on October 8.

Russian President Vladimir Putin listed a catalogue of alleged acts of “terrorism” by what he called the “Kyiv regime” at the Russian Security Council meeting on Monday, accusing “Ukrainian special services” of the “sabotage act on the Crimean bridge.”

He went through a list of what he called acts of terrorism including “terrorist shelling of the citizen towns in Donbas for over eight years,” and alleged acts of terrorism against Russian energy infrastructure, including electric power facilities, the gas transportation infrastructure and “an attempt to undermine one of the sections of the Turkish Stream gas transportation system.”

He warned of a harsh response that corresponds to the level of threat towards the Russian Federation in case of further “acts of terrorism.”

More on the explosion: An explosion early Saturday severely damaged parts of the Crimean bridge, which is a road and rail bridge between annexed Crimea and the Russian Federation. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the blast on the enormous 19-kilometer (about 12-mile) bridge, which was built after Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, an annexation regarded by the West as illegal.

The crossing was opened by Putin himself in 2018, and Ukrainian reaction to the explosion has been gleeful and triumphant.

Here’s a look at where the bridge is located:

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, left, meets with his Russian counterpart Putin in Sochi, Russia, on September 26.

President Alexander Lukashenko announced Belarus and Russia will “deploy a joint regional group of troops,” according to Belarusian state media.

“Due to the aggravation on the western borders of the Union State, we agreed to deploy a regional grouping of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus,” Lukashenko said Monday, according to state news agency Belta.

Lukashenko’s declaration deepens the military cooperation between the two countries – and follows claims made by Belarus that Ukraine is planning to attack its territory.

When Moscow its invasion of Ukraine in late February, it followed a substantial deployment of Russian forces and aviation in Belarus.

However, Lukashenko has not committed Belarus troops to Russia’s “special military operation.”

Last week, he said Belarus “has been caught up in the Russia-Ukraine war but that it is not an active military party to the conflict.”

“As for our participation in a special military operation in Ukraine, we are participating. We do not hide it. But we are not killing anyone. We are not sending our military anywhere. We do not violate our obligations,” Lukashenko said during a military meeting.

He added that Belarus was “participating” in the war by preventing its spread into Belarus and by preventing “a strike on Belarus under the guise of a special military operation from Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.”

He also said Belarus was not planning to announce any mobilization but that it intends to learn from Russia’s experience.

“If the threat level reaches the current level, as it is now, we start deploying the Union State grouping,” he said on Monday.

Lukashenko is quoted as saying that the grouping has now started, and he believes it has been underway for two days.

However, it is unclear what comprises the grouping and where it is deployed.

A Russian missile landed near Romania’s embassy in the Ukrainian capital this morning, according to foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu.

“I strongly condemn (the Russian) missile strikes against civilian objectives in ‪#Kyiv’s centre & other cities, in blatant violation of int’l humanitarian law, resulting in loss of human lives,” he tweeted on Monday.

“Glad that the personnel of (the Romanian) Embassy is safe, even if one strike hit only 850m away (from) its HQ,” Aurescu added.

The announcement comes after the German Foreign Office said a building containing Germany’s visa office in Kyiv was damaged in today’s wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine.

The series of Russian missiles launched at Ukraine on Monday morning was aimed at “critical infrastructure to destroy the country’s energy supply,” according to a Ukrainian government official.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, also warned Ukrainians to be prepared for blackouts.

“Power facilities from Lviv to Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv to Khmelnytskyi region, Dnipro and Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kirovohrad, and the entire south are targeted,” Tymoshenko said on Telegram.

“This may affect the stability of energy supply, so we need to be prepared for the consequences of such shelling, up to rolling blackouts,” he added.

The Ukrainian State Emergency Service said there is no electricity supply in five regions – Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv and Ternopil – and power supply has been partially disrupted in the rest of the country.

The G7 group of nations will hold an emergency meeting via video conference on Tuesday, the office of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed to CNN. Scholz is the current G7 president under its rotating leadership. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would address the meeting. “My speech is scheduled, in which I’ll tell about the terrorist attacks by [the Russian Federation], he said on Twitter. 

The G7 consists of the seven leaders from some of the world’s largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Russia was indefinitely suspended from the group — then the G8 — in 2014 after its illegal annexation of Crimea.

Emergency service personnel attend to the site of a blast on October 10, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

At least 10 people have died and 60 are injured in Ukraine after a wave of Russian attacks across the country on Monday morning, police spokesperson Maryana Reva said in an interview on Ukrainian TV. 

The police are collecting evidence of the “Russian atrocities,” Reva added. 

A building containing Germany’s visa office in Kyiv has been damaged in today’s Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital, the German Foreign Office said in a tweet. 

“A building in #Kyiv, which also houses the German visa office, was damaged by rocket fire this morning. Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression, these offices have not been used by our embassy. Our colleagues at the Embassy in Kyiv are well,” the German Foreign Office tweeted.

The office also posted German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s statement on the strikes — translated from German to English — calling the strikes on major cities and civilians “despicable and unjustifiable.”

There are power outages across multiple Ukrainian regions on Monday after they were hit by a devastating wave of Russian airstrikes, according to local officials. 

The region of Khmelnytskyi, which lies west of Kyiv, suffered a “massive missile attack,” damaging one of the area’s infrastructure facilities, Serhii Hamalii, head of the region, said on Telegram. “Currently, there is no electricity supply, electric transport does not work, water supply is suspended, traffic lights do not work.” 

Closer to Kyiv, two missiles were launched at Zhytomyr, Gov. Vitalii Bunechko said on Telegram. One was downed but another hit a “critical infrastructure object,” Bunechko said, resulting in partial disruption to the region’s energy supply. 

East of the capital, the Poltava region in central Ukraine also announced widespread power outages.

“This morning is the most difficult in recent times. Russians are massively hitting with missiles and kamikaze drones,” Dmytro Lunin, head of the regional military administration, said on Telegram.

“Now there is no electricity and water supply in Poltava … There may be problems with electricity and water for some time, but all services are already working to restore it.

“During the last air raid, the enemy struck three times at energy infrastructure facilities in Kremenchuk district,” Lunin said.

The fatal explosions across Ukraine on Monday targeted energy facilities and people, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Traffic on all subway lines in Kyiv has now resumed, according to the city’s mayor.

“The train service on all lines of the metro … has been resumed,” Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. The subway system in the Ukrainian capital was suspended earlier on Monday due to multiple Russian strikes across Kyiv.

Kyiv’s metro stations continue to work as shelters, Klitschko said.

Numerous missile and rocket attacks shook Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities on Monday morning, killing multiple people and damaging critical infrastructure.

Multiple European political figures have roundly condemned Russia’s spate of attacks on Ukrainian cities on Monday.

“Deeply shocked by Russia’s attacks on civilians in #Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. Such acts have no place in (the) 21st century. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms,” the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell said. “We stand with Ukraine. Additional military support from the EU is on its way,” Borrell tweeted Monday.

“Again, Putin is massively terrorizing innocent civilians in Kyiv and other cities in [Ukraine]. (The Netherlands) condemns these heinous acts. Putin does not seem to understand that the will of the Ukrainian people is unbreakable. Ukraine remains determined, and we continue to support Ukraine,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte tweeted.

Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted that the “bombardment of Kyiv and of civilian targets in many other cities is a reprehensible act by Russia. It is an unacceptable escalation of violence that strengthens Belgium’s resolve in supporting the people of Ukraine and their brave fight for a free and sovereign nation.”

“Shocking images coming once again from Ukraine this morning! I strongly condemn Russian missile attacks against civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. The only intention behind these attacks is to terrorize the civilian population. Stay strong Ukrainians!” tweeted Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. 

Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger tweeted that he condemns “today’s cowardly attacks of Russian forces on #civilians and civilian infrastructure in #Ukraine.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also tweeted to condemn the attacks. “I condemn in the strongest terms today’s indiscriminate Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities. Intentionally targeting civilian populations is a war crime,” she said. 

And Italy also reiterated its “unwavering and steadfast support for Ukraine, its people and its resilience.”

The Italian foreign ministry said it was “horrified by the cowardly missile attacks which hit the center of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.” 

During a phone call with the Brothers of Italy party leader Giorgia Meloni last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed Ukraine’s need for continued support from Italy after a new government is formed following the election there in September. 

In a television appearance Monday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia had struck military and infrastructure targets across Ukraine following the Crimea bridge blast on Saturday.

Putin threatened further “harsh” responses that correspond “to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it,” while accusing Kyiv of “terrorism.”

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Kerch bridge, a key link between the Russian mainland and Crimea, which Moscow illegally in 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 4.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he had an urgent call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, amid waves of Russian missile attacks across the country. 

“We discussed the strengthening of our air defense, the need for a tough European and international reaction, as well as increased pressure on the Russian Federation,” Zelensky tweeted Monday.

Macron said France would be ready to increase support in terms of military equipment to Ukraine during the call.

The French president told Zelensky of his “extreme concerns” over the bombardment of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, which lead to the damage of critical infrastructure civilian casualties.

Macron also reaffirmed France’s full support for Ukraine. 

The air raid alert in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv ended after nearly six hours, according to Ukrainian authorities.

The alert began at 6:47 a.m. local time (11:47 p.m. ET), and was over at 12:25 p.m (5:25 p.m. ET).

Huge blasts stunned Kyiv on Monday morning, in a series of Russian missile attacks that killed multiple people and damaged critical civilian infrastructure.

People are trapped under the remains of buildings in the Kyiv region following Monday morning’s Russian missile strikes across Ukraine’s capital, according to a senior military official.

“People are under the rubble … Rescuers and relevant services are working on the ground to save people as soon as possible,” Oleksii Kuleba, head of the regional military administration, said in a post on Telegram.

Kuleba said the attacks had damaged “critical infrastructure” and there could be “possible power outages and water supply interruptions.”

He advised residents to stock up on water and charge their cell phones.

Several Russian missiles launched from ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldovan airspace Monday morning, according to a senior government minister.

“Three cruise missiles launched on Ukraine this morning from Russian ships in the Black Sea crossed Moldova’s airspace,” Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nico Popescu, said in a tweet.

“I instructed that Russia’s ambassador be summoned to provide an explanation.”

Some background: Since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February, the Russian-backed breakaway region of Transnistria, in Moldova, has been brought into the spotlight.

Earlier this year, a series of unexplained explosions have occurred in parts of Transnistria, sparking fears that Moscow’s war could soon stretch beyond Ukraine and create a new theater of conflict in eastern Europe.

Transnistria is unrecognized by the international community, which considers it a part of Moldova. But the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, essentially has no control over the territory, which declared itself a republic more than three decades ago.

Emergency service personnel attend to the site of a blast on October 10, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has appealed for more air defense systems in the wake of a devastating wave of nationwide attacks launched by Russia.

Kuleba tweeted he had spoken to his Canadian counterpart and stressed that “partners should join forces to immediately provide Ukraine with air and missile defense systems.”

Kuleba will cut his Africa trip short to return to Ukraine and work with Kyiv’s allies to coordinate “a resolute response,” he added.

The deadly explosions across Ukraine on Monday morning prompted stinging rebukes from Kyiv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russians are “trying to annihilate us,” while Kuleba called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a terrorist who talks with missiles.”

CNN’s Tim Lister, Josh Pennington and Julia Kesaieva contributed reporting.

Eleven sites of critical infrastructure have been struck in Kyiv and eight other regions of Ukraine, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Multiple explosions rang across Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Monday, in a spate of violent Russian airstrikes that hit civilian infrastructure and left multiple people dead.

A senior Ukrainian military official has said “generations of Russians will answer” for a wave of explosions that struck multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday.

“The Russians are shameful losers. Did you intend to scare us?” Andrii Yermak, head of President Zelensky’s office, said of the attacks.

“There will be a harsh response to every hit. You will be held responsible for every death and suffering. And not only you. Entire generations of Russians will answer,” Yermak said on Telegram.

“We will continue to destroy everyone who comes to Ukraine with weapons. These hits make us even angrier. These hits will only speed up our progress.

“We are not afraid. We are only getting angrier and more accurate,” Yermak added.

Monday’s assault appears to be the heaviest bombardment of missile and rocket attacks seen in most of Ukraine since February, targeting power plants, bridges, civilian infrastructure and other locations.

Read more here:

The United States Embassy to Ukraine stands closed on April 25, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. U.S. officials announced that plans have begun to re-open the embassy, which was shut down due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile President Biden nominated Bridget Brink as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, a position that has remained empty for more than a year. ​ (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

The US Embassy in Kyiv has sent a message telling US citizens to shelter in place and depart Ukraine if they can do so safely.

“Russia has launched attacks against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure as well as government facilities in Kyiv and elsewhere. Russia’s continued strikes in Ukraine pose a direct threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the embassy said in a statement on Monday.

“The US Embassy urges US citizens to shelter in place and depart Ukraine now using privately available ground transportation options when it is safe to do so,” the statement added.

“The security situation throughout Ukraine is highly volatile and conditions may deteriorate without warning. US citizens should remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.” 

Some background: The war in Ukraine has escalated in recent days, following a huge blast on the strategic Kerch Strait road-and-rail bridge Saturday.

The explosion was a major blow to what the Kremlin calls its special military operation in Ukraine, as it is the only bridge between the annexed Crimea peninsula and the Russian mainland.

On Monday morning explosions rocked cities across Ukraine, damaging critical infrastructure and leaving multiple people dead.

Smoke rises over the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 10.

Russian forces used missiles, air strikes and drones in a “massive attack” on multiple Ukrainian cities Monday, according to Ukrainian officials.

“Since the morning, the aggressor launched 75 rockets. 41 of them were neutralized by our air defenses,” Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, said.

Powerful explosions rang across Kyiv on Monday morning, leaving multiple people dead. At the same time, regional authorities also reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, partly aimed at critical civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the missile strikes targeted Ukraine’s energy facilities and its people.

“They have especially chosen the time and the targets to create the most damage,” he said while standing outside his office in the center of Kyiv.

Moscow wanted to destroy Ukraine’s “energy system,” Zelensky said, adding that the Ukrainians shot down 38 incoming projectiles. He urged people to stay in shelters on Monday.

Further south, a Ukrainian official also confirmed that Russian missiles are targeting power infrastructure in the Mykolaiv region.

“They are hitting the infrastructure, trying to leave us without electricity,” Vitalii Kim, head of Mykolaiv regional military administration, said on Telegram.

“Russians are trying to scare us by hitting the infrastructure. There might be power outages, but the repair works are in progress, not just in Mykolaiv, but in all regions,” he aded.

Kim added that the Russians had claimed they are advancing “in all directions,” but the opposite is true: “In fact we are advancing and they are panicking.”

A screen grab taken from a surveillance camera shows an explosion on a bridge in the Shevchenkivskyi district of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on October 10.

After reports of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine on Monday morning, Kyiv’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will not break Ukraine down.”

“Putin’s only tactic is terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities, but he will not break Ukraine down. This is also his response to all appeasers who want to talk with him about peace: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles,” Kuleba tweeted.

Some context: Amid multiple explosions in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities early Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was trying to annihilate Ukraine.

In further comments on the waves of missile attacks across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday:

“The morning has been difficult. We are dealing with terrorists. Tens of missiles and Iranian shahids (drones). They have two targets. Energy facilities all over the country. Kiev and Khmelnitsk regions, Lviv and Dnipro, Lviv and Frankivsk regions, Zaporizhzhy and Sumy regions, Zhytomy and Kirovograd regions, south of the country,” he added.

At least five people were killed in the attacks on Kyiv. Regional authorities also reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk Monday morning.

Multiple explosions shook Kyiv on Monday morning following weeks of relative calm in the Ukrainian capital. Other cities in Ukraine have also been hit by a large-scale Russian bombardment. Here are the latest developments:

• Strikes hit Kyiv: The mayor of Kyiv has urged residents to remain in shelters today, after a children’s playground was among the sites hit by four apparent Russian strikes that left multiple people dead.
• Blasts rock Ukrainian cities: Regional authorities reported missile and rocket attacks in Kharkiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk on Monday morning, which appear to have been partly directed at power plants, bridges and other civilian infrastructure.
• Global leaders condemn Moscow: European leaders criticized “Russia’s relentless attacks” in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russian President Vladimir Putin “is a terrorist who talks with missiles,” in the wake of the blasts in Kyiv.
• Putin to chair Russia Security council meeting: The Russian president will hold an operational meeting of his Security Council on Monday, just two days after a massive explosion on a key strategic bridge linking Crimea and Russia.
• Beijing calls for de-escalation in Ukraine: China has expressed hope that the situation in Ukraine will be “de-escalated soon.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning attends a press conference in Beijing, China, on September 8.

China has expressed hope that the situation in Ukraine will be “de-escalated soon,” following apparent Russian strikes on the capital Kyiv on Monday. 

Speaking during the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs daily briefing in Beijing on Monday, Chinese MOFA spokesperson Mao Ning said China had noted reports of both the explosion on the Kerch bridge linking Crimea with mainland Russia on Saturday and Monday’s strikes on Kyiv. 

Mao reiterated China’s position on the situation in Ukraine, stressing China has “always maintained that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected.” 

“We hope that all parties can properly resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation. China is also willing to continue to play a constructive role in promoting the de-escalation of the situation,” Mao added.

India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar gives a press conference at the State Department on September 27, in Washington, DC.

India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar declined on Monday to say whether New Delhi will vote to condemn Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory in a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session this week.

“As a matter of prudence and policy, we don’t predict our votes in advance,” Jaishankar said at a news conference with Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong in Canberra. Jaishankar is visiting Australia for the annual Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.

The UNGA is expected to vote on Wednesday on a resolution that condemns Russia’s recent annexation of Ukrainian provinces, which it says violates international law

Jaishankar said Monday India has been “very clearly against the conflict in Ukraine,” and that the country believes the war “does not serve the interests of anybody, neither the participants nor indeed of the international community.”

Some context: Although Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin last month that “today’s era is not of war,” India has repeatedly abstained from votes condemning Russia at the United Nations.

India has kept buying Russian oil, coal and fertilizer throughout the conflict and in August, took part in Russia’s large-scale Vostok military exercises alongside China, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan, where Moscow paraded its vast arsenal.

Authorities in Sumy, in the northeast of Ukraine, say there are power outages across the region following missile attacks Monday.

“There are power outages in all districts of the region. In some places, because of it, there are problems with water supply,” said Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, head of the Sumy military administration.

“In Konotop, two missiles hit an infrastructure facility. There are wounded.

“The alert continues, stay in shelters.”

Power cuts were reported in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Monday following an explosion “at a critical infrastructure facility,” Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi posted on Telegram.

“Part of the city is without electricity. A third of the traffic lights do not work,” Sadovyi wrote. “Due to the lack of electricity, the operation of the city’s thermal power stations has been temporarily suspended. Therefore, hot water is not provided at the moment.”

Standby power generators at several pumping stations were started to restore the water supply, he added.

Sadovyi urged residents to stay in shelters.

The wave of missile and rocket attacks Monday across Ukraine appears to have been in part directed at power plants, bridges and other civilian infrastructure. In addition to Lviv, attacks were reported in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk.

Emergency service personnel attend to the site of a blast on October 10, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Train traffic on all subway lines is suspended in Kyiv, the city’s official Telegram account said on Monday morning. 

Underground stations are working as shelters, the post said.

Earlier, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister said the red line of Kyiv’s metro system is being used as a bomb shelter.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has advised residents to take shelter after explosions were reported in the capital. At least five people are dead and 12 injured, officials said.

Authorities in several Ukrainian cities are reporting rocket and missile attacks Monday morning.

In central Dnipropetrovsk, Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the regional military administration, said there had been a “massive rocket attack on the region. There are dead and wounded.”

“Do not come out of the shelters. There is still a threat of rocket attacks,” Reznichenko posted on Telegram.

Authorities in northeastern Kharkiv also reported attacks. Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv military administration, said there were explosions in the city.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said “initial reports indicate three strikes on Kharkiv.”

“The impact was at an energy infrastructure facility. Some areas of the city lost power, there is no water supply,” he said.

In the south, Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv region civil military administration, said Tu-95 bombers had launched waves of missile attacks, with 47 “projectiles” fired.  

Air defenses had shot down three rockets, he said. The Russians were also using Iranian-made attack drones, he added.

Explosions were also reported early Monday in the western city of Lviv and the capital, Kyiv, where at least five people were killed. Casualties were also reported in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia after a Russian missile strike destroyed an apartment block.

Smoke rises over the city after Russian missile strike in Lviv, Ukraine, on October 10.

Explosions have been heard in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv this morning, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi posted on Telegram. 

Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration, posted on Telegram to say “energy infrastructure facilities” had been hit. 

“Strikes on energy infrastructure facilities in the Lviv region were recorded,” he wrote. He asked residents to stay in shelters and warned there was a “threat of new missile attacks.”

It comes as Ukrainian officials report around five people were killed in apparent Russian strikes on Kyiv on Monday morning and as further casualties were reported following a Russian strike on a residential building in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.

Cars burn after Russian military strike in central Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 10.

“Around five” people are dead after four apparent Russian strikes hit Ukraine’s capital Kyiv Monday morning, according to a Ukrainian official.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, also noted that 12 people were injured in the attacks.

“All of them are civilians who were driving or walking in the center of Kyiv,” Gerashchenko wrote on Twitter.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has confirmed that strikes hit the Shevchenkivskyi and Solomianskyi districts of the city and advised residents to take shelter. CNN’s teams on the ground have heard at least four explosions on Monday morning.

Amid multiple explosions in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities early Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was trying to annihilate Ukraine.

“They are trying to slaughter our people who are sleeping in their homes in Zaporizhzhia. They are trying to kill people who are on their way to work in Dnipro and Kyiv.

“All over Ukraine, the air raid sirens will not abate. Rockets continue to strike. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. I ask you: do not leave your shelters. Stay safe and take care of your families. Let’s hang in there and be strong.”

Some context: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that strikes hit the Shevchenkivskyi and Solomianskyi districts of the city and advised residents to take shelter. CNN’s teams on the ground have heard at least four explosions in the city on Monday morning.

Cars burn after a Russian military strike in central Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 10.

The mayor of Kyiv on Monday urged the city’s residents to remain in shelters following a suspected rocket or missile attack on the Ukrainian capital.

“The air raid alert, and therefore the threat, continues,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram. 

Klitschko confirmed strikes hit the Shevchenkivskyi and Solomianskyi districts of Kyiv.

Earlier, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister said the red line of Kyiv’s metro system is being used as a bomb shelter.

At least four explosions have been heard by CNN teams in Kyiv on Monday. A playground is among the sites hit, according to Ukrainian officials. 

Several explosions have hit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on October 10.

A children’s playground was among the sites hit by a rocket or missile attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Monday morning. 

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, posted photos on Twitter Monday of what appears to be a playground with the caption: “Children’s playground in the center of Kyiv after the attack.”

At least four explosions have been heard by CNN teams in Kyiv on Monday.

At least four explosions have been counted by CNN teams in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Monday.

CNN teams on the ground heard the first two explosions between 8:15 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. local time.

Two more explosions were heard in central Kyiv at about 9:30am local time, according to CNN teams on the ground.

A firefighter looks at a building that was heavily damaged after a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia on October 9.

European leaders have criticized Russian missile attacks on residential buildings that have left scores of civilians dead and wounded in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia over the past week.

Ukrainian officials reported more casualties early on Monday after a Russian missile strike destroyed an apartment block.

Top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell said: “The EU condemns Russia’s relentless attacks against civilians all over Ukraine, with dozens of victims every week. All those responsible will be held to account.”

The European Commissioner for Crisis Response Janez Lenarcic also reacted to the attacks, saying, “Civilians and civilian infrastructure must not be the target. Never. Nowhere.”

Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attacks on Zaporizhzhia a “New outburst of Russian evil – a terrible overnight attack by Russia on civilians in Zaporizhzhia.”

“As Russia continues its terror, we must continue providing support to Ukraine to be able to defend itself. Russia must stop this war!” the ministry added.

The attacks have also been condemned by the foreign ministries of Belgium, Romania, Croatia and North Macedonia.

“This is another vicious and inhumane attack against civilians, in violation of international humanitarian law. Those responsible must be held accountable,” Romania’s Foreign ministry tweeted.

Explosions on the streets of central Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 10.

Two explosions were heard in the center of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Monday morning, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

“All services are on the location,” Klitschko wrote on Telegram.

CNN teams on the ground heard two explosions between 8:15 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. local time.

Rescuers work at a site of a residential area heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia on October 9.

Ukrainian officials reported casualties in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia early on Monday after a Russian missile strike destroyed an apartment block.

In a Telegram post, Oleksandr Starukh, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration said: “Another multi-story residential building was destroyed as a result of a rocket attack in the center of Zaporizhzhia.”

“There are some casualties,” he added. “Rescuers, medics, and all corresponding services are working at the scene of the tragedy. All necessary assistance is being provided to the victims.”

Some context: Dozens of people have been killed and wounded in Russian missile attacks on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia over the past week. The city is not far from the front line, and the site of a nuclear power plant that the international community is watching warily.

Part of the wider region is occupied by Russian forces and last week Russian President Vladimir Putin signed measures to annex four areas of Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia, in violation of international law.

Moscow denies that it has deliberately attacked civilians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree strengthening the defenses of the only bridge connecting annexed Crimea to the Russian mainland after a huge blast early Saturday severely damaged the structure.

Here’s the background:

• The blast: A huge explosion severely damaged the only bridge connecting annexed Crimea to the Russian mainland, causing parts of the structure to collapse. At least three people were were killed, according to Russian officials. Putin called the explosions a “terrorist attack” and said the organizers and executors were “Ukrainian special services.”
• Ukrainian leaders celebrate: While stopping short of claiming responsibility, high-ranking Ukrainian officials publicly celebrated the explosion on the 19-kilometer (about 12 miles) long structure, which is Europe’s longest bridge. Ukraine’s secretary of the National Security and Defense Council posted a taunting birthday message for Putin and the postal service announced stamps commemorating the blast. In Kyiv, residents posed for selfies in front of a billboard depicting the burning bridge.
• The damage: Maxar satellite images captured the damage to the Kerch Strait bridge Saturday, shortly after an explosion rocked the only direct road and rail connection between annexed Crimea and mainland Russia. The blast caused parts of the bridge to collapse, though Russian transportation officials restarted rail service and allowed vehicles to use some undamaged portions of the roadway by Saturday evening. The blast disrupted major transport links, however, and Russian officials planned to use ferries for trucks.
• Repair work to begin: On Saturday, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said the lights on the Crimea bridge were set to be restored in the next few hours so that repair works could be carried out around the clock. Khusnullin added that divers would start work on Sunday to check all the supports of the bridge. Once all results are received, a decision will be made to open traffic on the bridge for buses and heavy vehicles.
• Kremlin rules out nuclear response: Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an operational meeting of his Security Council on Monday following the explosion. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday dismissed the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in retaliation for the blast.

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev attends a military parade on Victory Day in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia will destroy the “terrorists” responsible for the attack on the Kerch bridge in Crimea on Saturday.

In an interview with Russian journalist Nadana Friedrichson Sunday, Medvedev said the hit on the crucial artery was a “terror attack” carried out by “the failed state of Ukraine.”

“Russia’s response to this crime can only be the direct destruction of terrorists, just as other countries would react. This is exactly what the citizens of Russia are waiting for,” Medvedev said. “This is a terrorist act and sabotage committed by the criminal Kyiv regime. There was never any doubt about this. All reports and conclusions have been made.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an operational meeting of his Security Council on Monday, following the blast on the bridge. Putin has also called the explosions a “terrorist attack” and said the organizers and executors were “Ukrainian special services.” While stopping short of claiming responsibility, high-ranking Ukrainian officials have publicly celebrated the explosion.

Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia have killed at least 43 civilians in the past week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Sunday.

Zelensky added that the death toll from a Russian strike on apartment blocks in the city on Sunday had risen to 14.

“Unfortunately, this number may increase. Debris is still being cleared. More than 70 people were injured, including 11 children,” Zelensky said. “It was a deliberate strike. The one who gave the order and those who carried it out knew what they were targeting.”

Zelensky also cast doubt on Moscow’s willingness to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the war, saying he sees “a constant terror against the civilian population.” He also repeated calls for an “official designation of Russia as a terrorist state at all levels.”

Some context: Russian forces have intensified missile attacks on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia over the past week. The city is not far from the front line, and the site of a nuclear power plant that the international community is watching warily.

Part of the wider region is occupied by Russian forces and last week Russian President Vladimir Putin signed measures to annex four areas of Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia, in violation of international law.

Moscow denies that it has deliberately attacked civilians.

An explosion at the Kerch bridge in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, on October 8.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday dismissed the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in retaliation for a massive explosion on a key strategic bridge linking Crimea and Russia, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported.

Peskov was asked by RIA whether the attack on the bridge could trigger an activation of Russia’s nuclear doctrine because it was “aimed at destroying critical civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called the emergency on the Crimean bridge “a terrorist attack aimed at the destruction of the critical infrastructure of Russian Federation.”

In 2020, Putin signed a decree updating Russia’s nuclear doctrine that allowed for the use of nuclear weapons if an attack was made on “critical state or military facilities,” and it led to “the disruption of Russian nuclear forces,” according to a copy of doctrine on the Kremlin’s website.

Putin will hold an operational meeting of his Security Council on Monday, following the humiliating setback on the bridge.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an operational meeting of his Security Council on Monday, just two days after a massive explosion on a key strategic bridge linking Crimea and Russia.

The meeting itself isn’t out of the ordinary — Putin regularly holds operational meetings with the Security Council, usually on a weekly basis, according to TASS. However, it comes just days after a major humiliation for the Russian President, when an explosion severely damaged parts of the road and rail bridge between annexed Crimea and the Russian Federation early Saturday.

And while the agenda has not been made public, the meeting comes at a strategic crossroads for the Kremlin, which must make a series of unenviable choices after Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has faltered after a month of military setbacks.

Some road traffic and train traffic has resumed on the estimated $3.7 billion bridge. On Saturday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said repair works on the bridge would be carried out around the clock, with a damage survey to be completed within a day and divers scheduled to check all the supports of the bridge.

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Crews restored power and cellular connection in Enerhodar, the city near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that is under Russian control, a senior official said Sunday.

“Water supply will be restored in the near future,” Vladimir Rogov, a pro-Russian leader in the regional Zaporizhzhia government, wrote in a Telegram post Sunday.

Rogov added that Ukrainians “have concentrated significant number of militants in Zaporizhzhia direction” and the risk of storming the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant “remains high”.

Some context: Russian and Ukrainian officials blame each other for the recent shelling in Enerhodar.

According to Ukrainian elected Mayor Dmytro Orlov, constant Russian shelling “prevents quick emergency and restoration work.”

Orlov said “the Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly tried to deliver humanitarian supplies with food, hygiene products and so on to the city,” adding that Ukraine is “ready to organize prompt delivery and distribution of drinking water in Enerhodar” but that Russian forces have not let humanitarian aid through.