Multiple Ukrainian cities were hit by a fusillade of cruise missile strikes and international leaders have condemned the attacks

Russia launched 84 cruise missiles at Ukraine on Monday, according to Ukrainian officials, who said critical infrastructure facilities, mainly handling the energy supply, were struck, leaving several regions without power.

At least 11 people died and 64 were injured in the attacks, the officials said.

Here are the top headlines:

• Infrastructure impacted: At least four regions — Lviv, Poltava, Sumy and Ternopil — had no electricity supply. Authorities requested Lviv residents who may have access to electricity to only use it for “urgent needs.” Kyiv briefly suspended its subway operations. The region of Khmelnytskyi, which lies west of Kyiv, has “no electricity supply, electric transport does not work, water supply is suspended, traffic lights do not work,” according to the region’s head.
• Ukraine will keep fighting: Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine will continue to liberate territories despite the attacks on Monday. Last week, Russian forces had begun to intensify their strikes, launching missile attacks on residential buildings in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia that killed at least 43 civilians over a period of a week, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
• Putin blames Ukraine for attack on Crimean bridge: Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Crimean bridge blast, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukrainian special services of the weekend attack. He said Monday’s strikes were in response, but Ukrainian intelligence says the attacks had been planned since early last week.
• International support: President Joe Biden said Russian missile strikes are a display of Putin’s “utter brutality” and that the attacks “only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called for the EU to provide Ukraine with more military equipment, specifically tanks.
• War crime investigations: Karim Ahmad Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, said he believes that there will be justice for war crimes committed during Russia’s war in Ukraine. He said he is “extremely concerned” by the civilian deaths following numerous Russian strikes Monday and said that the ICC would be conducting a criminal investigation. 

US President Joe Biden (L) spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday and pledged advanced air defense systems to Ukraine, according to White House.

US President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday to condemn Russia’s recent missile strikes and pledge continued US security assistance, including advanced air defense systems, according to a White House readout of the call. 

“He expressed his condemnation of Russia’s missile strikes across Ukraine, including in Kyiv, and conveyed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured in these senseless attacks,” according to the White House readout. “President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems.”

The readout did not provide additional details on what advanced air defense systems were discussed. 

“He also underscored his ongoing engagement with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance,” the readout continued.

In a statement earlier Monday, Biden said the recent wave of Russian strikes “once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people.”

Karim Ahmad Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), said he believes that there will be justice for war crimes committed during Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

International law is going to “ensure that there will be a day of reckoning in Ukraine and other situations where any bully, any individual with a gun or with a missile, or with the capacity to inflict terror on the most vulnerable of our next generations, will realize that the law is there,” Khan told CNN on Monday. 

The ICC chief said that he is “extremely concerned” by the civilian deaths following numerous Russian strikes that swept across Ukraine on Monday. He told CNN that the ICC would be conducting a criminal investigation. 

“I have members of my office that last night were in bunkers along with many other civilians. Ukrainian children, women and men and this is a matter that engages issues of morality, issues of law and issues of empathy and humanity,” he said.

“We need to be there to get to the truth,” he added.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine will continue to liberate territories across Ukraine despite a wave of Russian missile attacks on Monday. 

“Whatever he [Putin] does, we will continue to liberate our territory,” Kuleba told CNN. 

“This is the war for the existence of Ukraine. This is the war for the existence of international law and rule-based order. So he may escalate, he may do whatever he wants. But we are going to continue fighting and we will win,” he added.

Kuleba said the “vast majority” of targets in the Russian assault were energy facilities, adding saying that he is “not aware of any major military facility that was targeted. It was only energy facilities and civilian houses, apartment buildings.”

He said that he believed the attack was an act of vengeance by Russian President Vladimir Putin following recent defeats on the battlefield. 

“There should be no doubt that the goal of this attack was to terrorize a peaceful population and to make their life as difficult as possible. I’m pretty sure, I’m confident that this is the result of Putin’s defeat on the battleground. When his army cannot beat Ukrainian army, he chose to terrorize civilians in response as revenge,” Kuleba said.

When pressed on whether Ukraine was responsible for a massive explosion on a key strategic bridge linking Crimea and Russia, Kuleba said that he doesn’t “know who blew up the bridge. I wouldn’t exclude something happening inside of Russia because this bridge is so heavily protected from all sides.”

Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto (L) and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store hold a joint press conference after a meeting in Oslo, Norway, on October 10.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is incapable of accepting defeat in Ukraine, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said on Monday at a joint press conference in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

“I have said that I found it very difficult to see that President Putin could acknowledge any kind of defeat. Is he capable [of] that? That is the question. And I think he is not capable of taking a defeat,” Niinistö said.

Støre was not hopeful of any kind of negotiated resolution and an end to Russian aggression, saying “unfortunately that isn’t an immediate prospect.”

Both Nordic leaders condemned deadly strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine on Monday. “This is an unacceptable attack on civilians and a breach on all principles key to humanitarian law and international rules and regulations,” the Norwegian Prime Minister said.

“Nuclear threats, mobilization and sham referenda and annexation of territory under occupation is simply unacceptable and it has to be rebuffed by the democracies of Europe in a very consistent way,” he added.

Niinistö said: “What has happened now in Ukraine, well, it is indiscriminate bombing targeting civilians, targeting also infrastructure which is most important for civilians. Of course it’s terror [in] people’s minds. Unfortunately, it seems that, in the war, there is a new pace opening or starting and that is a kind of escalation in the situation.”

Rescuers use a hose to extinguish a fire in a residential building damaged after a strike in Zaporizhzhia, on October 9.

US Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth called recent attacks from Russian forces on civilians in Ukraine “horrific.”

“It is horrific that Russia is directly targeting civilians and critical infrastructure for civilians. This is what unfortunately, though, President Putin has been doing for some time in terms, since the invasion of Ukraine,” Wormuth said during a news conference at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting Monday.

Wormuth said these attacks are an “extension” of the kinds of “tactics” Putin has been using throughout the conflict with Ukraine.

“So it’s very, very concerning, but I think it’s an extension of the kind of tactics that we’ve seen from the beginning of the invasion,” Wormuth added.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola attends a debate on the Russian escalation in the war against Ukraine, during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on October 5.

Eurpean Parliament President Roberta Metsola told CNN on Monday that the EU needs to do more to help Ukraine in light of Russia’s escalation by providing more military equipment. 

“I think all countries could and should do more,” Metsola told. “What we’ve seen today shows that Russia will continue to escalate further… How are we going to respond? If our response is not proportionate to the escalation, then we’re just going to keep seeing him killing more people.”

Metsola said sanctions by the European Union were “clearly not enough” and she called on all member states to come together and provide more weaponry, specifically tanks, which the Ukrainians have requested.   

“Ukraine is asking for them, and the European Union has the facility to coordinate what it gives to Ukraine. I know the high representatives very much working on this. I know from military perspective we can do more,” she said.

President Biden delivers remarks in Hagerstown, Maryland, on October 7.

US President Joe Biden said Russian missile strikes hitting Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine on Monday “once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people.”

“These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Biden wrote in a statement Monday. “Alongside our allies and partners, we will continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom.”

“We again call on Russia to end this unprovoked aggression immediately and remove its troops from Ukraine,” Biden said.

The President is expected to join a call with G7 leaders on Tuesday, where Ukrainian President Zelensky is expected to address the group.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks during a press conference on September 27 in Washington, DC.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday to reiterate the United States’ support following the deadly Russian strikes on Ukraine.

“I just spoke with @DmytroKuleba to reiterate U.S. support for Ukraine following the Kremlin’s horrific strikes this morning. We will continue to provide unwavering economic, humanitarian, and security assistance so Ukraine can defend itself and take care of its people,” Blinken tweeted.

Additionally, US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Brink tweeted photos of the meeting.

There have been explosions in the Kryvyi Rih city, said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s military administration in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

“Preliminary – kamikaze drones Shahid [Iranian-made.]” Vilkul wrote on Telegram.

There are no details yet of damage or casualties.

Russia struck multiple Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones, according to Ukrainian authorities. Catch up on everything you need to know on Monday’s developments so far:

Strikes hit multiple Ukrainian regions: A total of 84 cruise missiles were fired at Ukraine Monday along with a number of attack drones, Ukrainian officials say, adding that the military destroyed 56 of the Russian weapons. Critical infrastructure facilities — mainly energy supply facilities — were hit in multiple regions and in the city of Kyiv, where more than 30 fires broke out, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service (SES) said. At least 11 people died and 64 were injured following the attacks, officials said.

Critical infrastructure was impacted in some areas: At least four regions — Lviv, Poltava, Sumy and Ternopil — had no electricity supply. Authorities requested Lviv residents who may have access to electricity to only use it for “urgent needs.” Kyiv had briefly suspended its subway operations. The region of Khmelnytskyi, which lies west of Kyiv, has “no electricity supply, electric transport does not work, water supply is suspended, traffic lights do not work,” according to the region’s head. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post Monday that the government was “doing everything necessary to quickly restore electricity supply.” Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said “preliminary data shows most of the energy facilities will be reconnected today. The rest will start working tomorrow.”

Putin blames Ukraine for attack on Crimean bridge: Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Crimea bridge blast, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukrainian “special services” of the attack. He said Monday’s strikes were in response to the attack, but Ukrainian intelligence says the strikes had been planned since early last week.

China and India also call for de-escalation: After the strikes, China expressed hope that the situation in Ukraine will “de-escalated soon.” India has said it is “deeply concerned” by the escalation of the conflict and said that “escalation of hostilities is in no one’s interest,” urging an “immediate cessation of hostilities” and return to the “path of dialogue.” Other European leaders have also condemned the attack.

Escalation in the war: Monday’s strikes come on the heels of other recent attacks across Ukraine. Last week, Russian forces intensified missile attacks on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia over the past week, with at least 43 civilians dead in the past week, including 14 on Saturday alone, according to Zelensky. Then the huge explosion occurred early Saturday severely damaging 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.

Here’s a look at where the state of control stands on Ukrainian territories along with the Crimean bridge:

Local residents examine a crater following a missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, on October 10,

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is “deeply shocked” following Russia’s missile strikes on Ukraine on Monday, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General is deeply shocked by today’s large-scale missile attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on cities across Ukraine that reportedly resulted in widespread damage to civilian areas and led to dozens of people being killed and injured,” the spokesperson said. 

“This constitutes another unacceptable escalation of the war and, as always, civilians are paying the highest price,” the statement added. 

Guterres spoke Monday morning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Dujarric said, specifying that the phone call covered the ongoing situation in Ukraine, besides the missile strikes. 

CNN’s Richard Roth contributed reporting to this post.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the press during a visit in the city of Craon, northwestern France, on October 10.

Following a series of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “deliberate strikes” by Moscow’s forces “against civilians.”

“It’s a profound change of the nature of this war,” Macron told journalists on a trip to the French region of Mayenne. His comments were confirmed to CNN by the Elysee Palace.

He added that he will be meeting with his diplomatic and military counsellors regarding the strikes upon his return to Paris.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with officials in Kyiv, ukr

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted an image of a meeting he’s holding with officials to discuss restoring communications and energy supply after the latest wave of Russian strikes, saying in a post on Telegram that the “enemy has damaged our energy infrastructure, but now we are doing everything necessary to quickly restore electricity supply.”

“The infrastructure that provides mobile communication was not damaged. In some places, there were interruptions due to lack of power supply,” Zelensky said.

“It is important to reduce electricity consumption from 5 to 10 pm. This will ease the load on our power grid and reduce the need for emergency outages,” he said. 

“We are holding on. We are working. We are united,” he continued.

At the same time, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said that dozens of missiles had hit energy infrastructure in 11 regions and the capital city of Kyiv. “Power supply has been disrupted in almost the whole of Ukraine. Eight regions suffer water supply problems,” he said.

“Preliminary data shows most of the energy facilities will be reconnected today. The rest will start working tomorrow,” he said.

“Power is back in Sumy already. We are on the way in Zhytomyr and Kharkiv. Emergency schedule of turning the power off is in place in Kyiv and Kyiv region, Chernigiv, Cherkassy and Zhytomyr regions,” Shmygal said. 

India has said it is “deeply concerned” by the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine following Russia’s missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Monday. 

“India is deeply concerned at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including targeting of infrastructure and civilian deaths,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet. 

He reiterated India’s position that the “escalation of hostilities is in no one’s interest,” urging an “immediate cessation of hostilities” and return to the “path of dialogue.” 

Earlier on Monday, India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar declined to say whether the country would vote to condemn Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory in the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session on Wednesday. 

“As a matter of prudence and policy, we don’t predict our votes in advance,” Jaishankar said during a news conference with Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong in Canberra, Australia.

In September, the country’s leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that “today’s era is not of war,” calling on him to cease hostilities in Ukraine.   

With previous reporting from CNN’s Jake Kwon in Hong Kong 

Firefighters work at the site of damaged infrastructure after a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 10.

A total of 84 cruise missiles were fired at Ukraine Monday along with a number of attack drones, Ukrainian officials say.

As of 2 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET,) the “Russian Federation has used 84 cruise missiles and 24 UAV, including 13 Iranian Shahid-136 drones,” the military’s General Staff said, adding that 56 of the Russian weapons were destroyed — 43 cruise missiles and 13 UAVs, which included 10 kamikaze drones.

Critical infrastructure facilities — mainly energy supply facilities — were hit in eight regions and in the city of Kyiv, where more than 30 fires broke out, the Ukrainian State Emergency Service (SES) said.

“As a result of the terrorist attack, 11 people died and 64 were injured,” it added.

There was no electricity supply in four regions: Lviv, Poltava, Sumy and Ternopil regions, the SES noted. “In the rest of the territory of Ukraine, the electricity supply was partially disrupted.”

Here are the locations targeted in Monday’s strikes:

A fireman helps an injured civilian after several explosions rocked the Shevchenkivskyi district of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on October 10.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday’s missile strikes in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were in response to what he described as acts of “terrorism” by Kyiv, referring to the attack on the Kerch bridge linking Russia and Crimea on Saturday, which he blamed on Ukraine’s “special services.”

However, Ukraine’s defense intelligence agency claimed in a statement on Monday that Moscow had been planning a “massive” missile attack on Ukraine since early last week. 

Citing military intelligence, the agency said Russian military units had “received instructions from the Kremlin to prepare massive missile strikes on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine on October 2 and 3.” 

“The facilities of critical civil infrastructure and the central districts of densely populated Ukrainian cities were identified as targets,” the statement added. 

Russia launched a total of 84 cruise missiles against targets across Ukraine on Monday, the General staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a Facebook post. 

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said earlier that Moscow’s claims about the Kerch bridge attack were “nonsense.”

Germany is delivering the first of four IRIS-T SLM air-to-air missile systems to Ukraine, the German defense ministry tweeted on Monday. 

The latest Russian missile attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities “show how important this capability is for Ukraine’s self-defense,” it added.

Germany announced it was going to make this delivery months ago.  

Smoke rises over power lines after Russian missile strikes in Lviv, Ukraine, on October 10.

The Ukrainian government is asking people across the country to limit their energy use on Monday evening. 

As a result of Monday’s missile strikes, “we kindly ask everyone, if possible, to limit electricity consumption today from 17:00 to 22:00,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in a post on Telegram. “This will help to pass the critical loads of our power grids.”  

The Ukrainian energy operator Ukrenergo – which operates the nation’s high-voltage transmission lines – put out a specific call to people in the Kyiv region, asking them not to use energy-intensive appliances like washing machines, boilers and air conditioning units during that time.

Ukrenergo said on Facebook that it was working to repair damage caused to the Kyiv region’s power grids after they were impacted by Monday morning’s missile strikes. 

Some parts of the Lviv region are still without electricity, Gov. Maksym Kozytskyi said in a post on Telegram. 

He asked people in areas that have access to electricity to use it sparingly.

“Specialists are working to restore power as quickly as possible. But recovery could take more than 24 hours,” he said.

The White House has been closely monitoring the reports of attacks in Ukraine overnight, and find them to be “troubling,” a senior administration official tells CNN. 

The official added it is one more reminder of just how “brutal” Russian President Vladimir Putin can be. 

A Russian defense official is downplaying the need for Belarusian troops to participate in Moscow’s “special military operation” — the term used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to refer to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian Duma’s Defense Committee, told Russian state media RIA Novosti on Monday that “there is no need” for Belarus to join forces with Russia.

His interview comes after Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko announced that Belarus and Russia will “deploy a joint regional group of troops” that deepens the military cooperation between the two countries. Lukashenko had also claimed that Ukraine is planning to attack Belarusian territory. In turn, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said, “this information is not true.”

Russian and Belarusian troops take part in the Zapad-2021 military exercise in the Brest region of Belarus on September 14, 2021.

Kartapolov explained that the deployment of joint forces was primarily in response to the actions of Poland, which he said has started deploying formations on the border with Belarus. 

“The deployment is aimed at relieving the concerns of Alexander Grigoryevich (Lukashenko) and our Belarusian brothers,” he said. “Of course, we cannot remain indifferent … This is not a new grouping, it is provided for within the framework of the union state.”

He added, “a decision has simply been made at the request of the President of Belarus to deploy this group. It is too early to say to what extent. The decision will be made by the general staffs of our countries.”

International leaders continue to react to Russia’s missile attacks on Kyiv and across other Ukrainian cities on Monday morning.  

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen tweeted on Monday that she is “shocked and appalled by the vicious attacks on Ukrainian cities.” 

“Putin’s Russia has again shown the world what it stands for: brutality and terror. I know that Ukrainians will stay strong. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, with all the means we have,” the tweet reads. 

While on a visit to a border crossing point between Estonia and Russia with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, von der Leyen said “those who are responsible have to be held accountable.”

“We are mourning the victims and I send my heartfelt condolences to our Ukrainian friends. I know Ukrainians will not be intimidated, and Ukrainians know that we will stand by their side as long as it takes,” von der Leyen continued. 

Kallas also said she wanted to send a “clear message” to Ukrainians, saying, “we are supporting you every possible way.” She expressed the importance of delivering air defense systems to Ukraine so the country could protect its cities and civilians. 

Meanwhile, the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola tweeted on Monday that “what is happening now in #Kyiv is sickening. It shows the world, again, the regime we are faced with: One that targets indiscriminately. One that rains terror & death down on children. This is criminal. They will be held to account. Ukraine will win. Europe will not look away.”  

See the EU chief’s tweet:

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.”

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said, “this information is not true.”

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:

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.

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.

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.