Russia launched a wave of coordinated and deadly bombing raids on several Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kiev, in retaliation for an explosion that partially destroyed the strategic Crimean bridge.
The largest campaign of attacks across Ukraine in months, which left at least five people dead in Kiev, coincided with a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Security Council, convened after the explosion at the Kerch Bridge.
The Ukrainian military claimed that Russian forces had fired 75 missiles at cities across the country, in a series of attacks that included the use of Iranian drones launched from Belarus. The latest bombing of the Ukrainian capital dates back to the end of June.
“Massive attacks with long-range high-precision weapons were carried out against Ukraine’s energy, military and communications infrastructure,” Putin said at the start of the Security Council, according to television footage. The Kremlin chief promised “severe” responses in case of further attacks.
In parallel, the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, accused Ukraine of preparing an attack on his country, so he announced the deployment of joint troops with Russia.
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