By Sana Fazili
Ukraine on Monday reported casualties and a blackout in the city of Lviv as Russia launched fresh strikes on Ukraine. Russia launched a series of strikes on several Ukrainian cities on Monday, including Kyiv. Russia's military action comes days after an explosion on Kerch Bridge that connects Crimea to Russia.
Also Read:Kyiv Hit By Russian Missiles, Several Cities Under Siege
The fresh strikes have killed many and injured several others. Amid the new siege, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to US president Joe Biden, UK prime minister Liz Truss, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and other heads of states to gather support in the face of the Russian attack.
Ukraine's deputy head of the president's office Kyrylo Tymoshenko shared on Telegram pictures of the devastation caused by the Russian missile strikes. "Ukraine is under missile attack. There is information about strikes in many cities of our country," Tymoshenko said.
Also Read:How Blast On Kerch Bridge Signifies A New Phase in Ukraine-Russia War
Here are all the updates on the latest escalations in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war:
19 dead, 105 injured
The latest reports suggest that 19 people died in the attacks on Monday and more than 105 people have been injured, The Guardian reported authorities in Ukrain as saying.
13 regions affected
It was not just Kyiv, theAssociated Press reported that 12 other regions aside from Kyiv were affected by Russia's missile strikes.
84 missiles fired by Russia
Ukraine on Monday said that Russia launched over 84 rockets and 12 kamikaze drones in the fresh attacks after over three months. The last strikes were reported on June 26.
40 missiles shot down by Ukraine
"Ukrainian military and air defense forces shot down more than 40 missiles and 9 drones. Ukraine needs more modern weapons to protect the sky and civilians," Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Twitter.
The Ukrainian government asked the citizens to stay in shelters as Russian missiles pounded several cities. Shmyhal said civilians and critical infrastructures were being attacked by Russia.
Ukraine President Zelensely accused Russia of killing Ukranian people on "battlefield and in peaceful cities".
300 cities and towns out of power
The strikes affect life across Ukraine as people scrambled to take shelter. The Associated Press report said that around 300 cities and towns across Ukraine were out of power.
Lviv is one of the affected cities which has lost power on Tuesday again due to fresh strikes. BBC quoted mayor Andriy Sadovyi as saying that the city had managed to reconnect 95% of its electricity on Monday night, only to go back to 30% of the city having no electricity.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said on Twitter, "Primary targets of Russian strikes are energy facilities. They've hit many yesterday and they hit the same and new ones today. These are war crimes planned well in advance and aimed at creating unbearable conditions for civilians — Russia's deliberate strategy since months."
__What has Russia said?
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Russia had last attacked Kyiv on June 26. On Sunday, Russia blamed Ukraine for Kerch Bridge explosion that left three dead. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of severe consequences after the explosion.
"Let there be no doubt, if attempts at terrorist attacks continue, the response from Russia will be severe," Putin said. He called the bridge explosion a "terrorist act" and accused the "Ukrainian secret services" of carrying it out.
Russia's former President Dmitry Medvedev said the strikes on Ukranian cities were just the "first episode" as he warned of more attacks. "The first episode has been played. There will be others," Medvedev said.
Medvedev, who is now the deputy chairman of Russia's Security, is on Ukraine's wanted list for over six months now for attempting to "undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity and the inviolability of its borders."
World leaders rally behind Ukraine
Zelensky took to Twitter on Monday and said that several world leaders had dialled him as a show of support and solidarity amid Russian strikes.
