Russian Missiles Strike Ukrainian Cities 18 killed, More than 130 Injured ,Zelensky Vows Revenge

Defense News ,Russia & Ukraine War :- In a tragic turn of events on Tuesday, a series of Russian missile attacks struck Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine, resulting in the loss of 18 lives and leaving over a hundred people injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressing determination, pledged a robust response to the aggression.

The second-largest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv, near the Russian border, bore the brunt of the assault. Rescue teams worked tirelessly amid smoldering rubble, rescuing survivors as residential buildings were set ablaze and collapsed under the impact of the strikes, according to reports from AFP journalists.

In his solemn address to the nation, President Zelensky condemned the attacks, stating, "Ordinary life is what Russia sees as a threat to itself. The state is a typical terrorist." He confirmed that 130 individuals had been injured in the assaults and warned Russia that the Ukrainian spirit would respond resolutely.

Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleg Sinegubov, reported eight fatalities and over 50 injuries from the initial barrage, with a subsequent round of strikes leaving four more people injured. The city, targeted early in the Russian invasion of February 2022, has been subjected to ongoing shelling by Ukrainian forces in their efforts to resist Moscow's army.

Zelensky disclosed that Russia had launched nearly 40 missiles in an attempt to penetrate Ukraine's air defense systems. While a significant number were intercepted, others hit 200 structures, including 139 residential buildings. Air raid sirens echoed over Kyiv, and defense systems engaged in a fierce response to the aerial onslaught.

Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported 20 injuries in the city and significant damage to buildings and vehicles in central districts. A 17-year-old interior design student, Daryna Bodenchuk, described the terrifying experience in her Kyiv dormitory, where the blasts shook the building and shattered windows.

In the surrounding region of Kyiv, four individuals were wounded, and residential blocks, private homes, and farm buildings sustained damage. In Pavlograd, further south, one person was killed, and another was wounded, according to the governor of Dnipropetrovsk. Additionally, in the southern region of Kherson, claimed by the Kremlin as part of Russia, a 70-year-old man was reportedly killed by Russian forces.

Amid the escalating crisis, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, emphasized the need for continued international support to protect Ukraine against these attacks on civilians. France's foreign ministry condemned Moscow's actions, labeling them as war crimes and holding Russia solely responsible for the escalating conflict.

The Kremlin, responding to questions about the attacks, denied targeting civilian infrastructure and reiterated its commitment to the ongoing invasion. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a press statement, accused the Kyiv regime of fatal drone and missile attacks, further intensifying tensions between the two nations. Reports from Russian-occupied eastern Donetsk also claimed that Ukrainian strikes had resulted in the death of three individuals.