Ukraine had been warning for some time and the nighttime appearance of Vladimir Putin with his team anticipated the escalation in Russian bombings that in the early hours of this Tuesday have left at least 10 dead and a hundred injured in cities such as Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv, according to local authorities. Waves of Russian missiles and drones have struck multi-story residential buildings and even children’s facilities. “Intelligence service alerts about Russian attacks remain in effect. A massive attack is possible,” warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a recorded speech the day before.
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The Kremlin was looking for an excuse for its stalemate on the front and found it at the end of April in the tragedy of Starobilsk, a city occupied by Russia where a Ukrainian bombing killed 21 young people aged between 18 and 21. “The leadership in Kyiv has decided to open a new chapter in its crimes and add a new dimension to the conflict as a whole. Well, that is their decision,” Putin said on Monday, trying to exploit that drama to continue his bloodbath in Ukraine. On one hand, appealing to emotion when he spoke of “children” instead of young people. On the other, ignoring that his war is a greater tragedy.
However, the United Nations denies Putin’s narrative. “Since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022, more than 15,000 civilians, including 800 children, have been killed in Ukraine,” the UN denounced just a couple of days ago. According to what the organization has been able to verify, another 4,174 people have been injured, although it fears the numbers are higher.
In Dnipro, in the southeast of the country, at least six people have died and 36 have been injured in a missile and drone attack, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha. Several apartment buildings and a fire station have been attacked. The official accompanied his statement on Telegram with images of the ruins, burned vehicles, and a damaged playground.
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In the capital, Kyiv, at least four people have died and 51 have been injured, including children, according to Reuters citing statements from Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The impact of a missile against a 24-story residential block caused a collapse and authorities fear there may be people trapped under the rubble. Other projectiles also caused several more fires in other buildings and nearby areas, including one near a daycare. Thousands of people went to the city’s metro seeking shelter.
In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, Russian drones and missiles have caused 10 injuries, including a child, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov on Telegram.
Russia had already launched another massive attack on Kyiv on Sunday, April 24. Since then, the Kremlin has warned that it intends to carry out “systematic attacks” against “decision-making centers” in the Ukrainian capital and urged foreigners to leave.
