Kyiv hit by blasts as Russia strikes cities across Ukraine; multiple dead, injured

A series of blasts rocked central Kyiv Monday morning, shattering months of relative calm in the Ukrainian capital a day after Russia’s leader blamed Ukraine for an explosion on a key Crimea bridge.

The explosions marked the start of an intensive wave of attacks on targets across Ukraine, with conflicting reports suggesting the blasts were caused by missiles or suicide drones.

Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said in a statement on Telegram that there were “several explosions in the Shevchenkiv district — in the center of the capital.”

He later said there were “several hits on objects of the city’s critical infrastructure,” adding that there were casualties.

Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, posted a photo on Twitter showing that at least one explosion occurred near the main building of the Kyiv National University in central Kyiv.

The spokesperson for the Emergency Service in Kyiv told the AP that there were killed and wounded people. Rescuers were working in multiple locations, said Svitlana Vodolaga.

Shevchenko Park in central Kyiv now. Probably the city’s busiest park, usually packed with people and street musicians pic.twitter.com/9kIS4rBiKq

— Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) October 10, 2022

The explosions were heard following the sound of incoming missiles, the Associated Press reported.

Some reports suggested that the blasts could have been caused by drones.

Video posted to social media appeared to show a park and a pedestrian bridge severely damaged in explosions.

There were at least three blasts initially heard in Kyiv at around 8:15 a.m. local time, peak commuter time. An hour later, further explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital.

Russia’s last strike on Kyiv took place on June 26.

A reporter for the BBC was live on air at the time of the apparent strike.

Hugo Bachega of @BBCWorld indeed, live, in Kiev as ominous noises thunder out of the sky pic.twitter.com/qkIlGpJ2Nh

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) October 10, 2022
Ukraine’s presidency said there were strikes on “many” cities in Ukraine, including Kyiv and Lviv in the west.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said that parts of the city were without electricity and hot water following a Russian strike, The Guardian reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that people had been killed and injured and that Russia was trying to wipe the country off the face of the Earth.

“Air raid sirens are not subsiding around Ukraine… Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded. Please do not leave the shelters,” Zelensky said on social media, accusing Russia of wanting to “wipe us from the face of the Earth.”

Kyiv was reportedly targeted by Russian strikes this morning, multiple explosions were seen. pic.twitter.com/BC3VCWgiIJ

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 10, 2022

The attacks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called the attack that damaged the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea “a terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

The Kerch Bridge, which holds important strategic and symbolic value to Russia in its faltering war in Ukraine, was hit Saturday by what Moscow has said was a truck bomb. Road and rail traffic on the bridge were temporarily halted, damaging a vital supply route for the Kremlin’s forces.

“There’s no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation,” Putin said during a meeting with the chairman of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. “And the authors, perpetrators, and those who ordered it are the special services of Ukraine.”

Bastrykin said Ukrainian special services and citizens of Russia and other countries took part in the attack. He said a criminal investigation had been launched into an act of terror.

“We have already established the route of the truck,” he said, saying it had been to Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia and Krasnodar, a region in southern Russia.

In Kyiv, presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak called Putin’s accusation “too cynical even for Russia.”