Russia Launches Massive Bombardment Against 15 Ukrainian Regions

Ukraine's air defenses are in frantic activity this Monday to respond to a massive Russian attack involving strategic long-range bombers and drones. The missiles have hit Kyiv with an intensity rarely seen in recent months, although the invading army's armed deployment has extended to fifteen regions of the country and dozens of localities such as Lutsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Poltava, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi.

"The air alert continues. In the region, on the outskirts of Kyiv, air defense is operational. Stay in shelters until the air alert sounds!" warned Serhiy Popko, one of the officials of the Kyiv regional administration, at nine in the morning. Since dawn, thousands of citizens have been in shelters and metro stations.

Although the worst seems to be over, national media report that "explosions have occurred in many cities." The bombings appear to have been directed in many cases against the country's energy facilities, and indeed, the government is already announcing the first power outages. Three people have died in Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk, and Dnipro, according to authorities who do not rule out more victims.

Up to seventeen fighter-bombers may have participated in the attack. The Ukrainian army detected eleven TU-95MSs, the Soviet 'bear' missile carriers capable of covering great distances with a large arsenal on board, in Russian airspace early this morning. Additionally, six other strategic bombers Tu-22M3 were also detected flying towards Ukrainian territory. Before that, the Kremlin's army fired hundreds of explosive drones almost non-stop from one until nearly six in the morning.

Kyiv has repelled many of these unmanned aircraft and has attempted to respond to the offensive by launching missiles and drones over Russian territory. It appears that a military airfield has been hit in this operation.