Russian drones and missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities early on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 100, authorities said, following days of warnings about Moscow's plans for a major assault.
Last week, the Kremlin warned that it intended "systematic strikes" on targets in Kyiv in response to a drone attack on a dormitory in Ukraine's Russian-held region of Luhansk, which killed 21. Ukraine denied the attack.
Photographs showed large explosions and plumes of smoke billowing over high-rise buildings in Kyiv, where overnight strikes killed four people and wounded up to 65, including children, according to the capital's mayor, Vitali Klitschko.
A suspected missile strike on a 24-storey apartment building triggered a collapse, leaving people probably trapped under the rubble, he added.
"In the Obolon district, cars are burning after being struck by falling missile debris. There are also fires at two locations in open areas, including one near a kindergarten," Klitschko said.
Thousands of residents of Kyiv were taking refuge inside metro stations and other shelters, witnesses said, after air raid warnings that covered much of the country early on Tuesday.
"I only dream that this (war) will end soon, but I’ve lost all hope. I don’t know, it’s hard," 32-year-old Kyiv resident Valeriia Nafechinko, sheltering in a metro station, said with a heavy sigh.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday reiterated warnings of a potentially major assault and urged residents to pay special attention to air raid alerts.
"Intelligence warnings regarding Russian strikes remain in effect. A massive strike is possible, they have prepared one," Zelenskyy said.
"Our defenders are ready 24/7 to the fullest extent possible with the supplies currently available."
Russia last week warned that it intended to launch "systematic strikes" on targets in Kyiv linked to the Ukrainian military as well as decision-making centres, and urged foreigners to leave.
Meanwhile the Governor of Leningrad Aleksandr Drozdenko said Russia downed around 50 drones over the region overnight on Wednesday.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemned" the Russian attacks.
He repeated Guterres' appeal for "immediate de-escalation, leading to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire in this conflict."
In Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, 10 people, including a child, were injured in drone and missile attacks, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram.
Reuters could not independently verify all the reports.
The airline captain celebrated for safely landing a passenger jet on New York's Hudson River in 2009 has revealed he has been diagnosed with early-st...
A brown skua seabird found near New Zealand's capital Wellington has tested positive for H5N1, marking the country's first detection of the bird flu s...
A Turkish-owned civilian merchant vessel carrying 11 Azerbaijani crew members was struck by a drone near Ukraine's Odesa coast on 14 July. Azerbaijani...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 2nd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway this week in a landmark tour of the Nordic region that reflects Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with Europe at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 1 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
An overnight fire at a popular bar in Bangkok has killed at least 30 people and injured 70 others, making it one of the deadliest pub disasters in the Thai capital in recent years. Authorities say the venue quickly filled with thick smoke, trapping patrons inside.
IBM has warned that a surge in spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure is weighing on its core business, in one of the clearest signs yet of how the AI boom is reshaping the technology sector.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
One person has died and two others remain missing after a triple-deck pontoon boat carrying 19 people capsized near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay on Tuesday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 15th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Britain will introduce a default overnight curfew on social media apps for 16 and 17-year-olds, expanding planned restrictions aimed at reducing the impact of excessive screen use on young people.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment