Ukraine under siege: Missile attacks target multiple cities Monday

On Monday morning, Ukraine came under heavy artillery fire from Russia. From the early morning hours, Russian missiles attacked at least ten regions of the country. The heaviest strikes took place in the Lviv province, Lutsk, and Kyiv, where people hid in the subway. A recording from a crowded "shelter" surfaced online. "Pray for us," appealed Ukrainian parliament member Kira Rudyk.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that eleven Tu-95 strategic bombers took off from Russian airfields and launched missiles towards Ukrainian cities. An air raid alert was declared across the country, and authorities urged residents to take shelter in safe places.

Information channels on Telegram tracking the movements of Russian bombers reported that the planes took off from three different airfields in Russia: Engels in the Saratov region, Olenya on the Kola Peninsula, and Dyagilevo in the Ryazan region.

The bombers then headed towards the Caspian Sea, from where they began their attack on Ukraine. Additionally, six Tu-22 bombers launched more cruise missiles, aimed at destroying strategic targets in various parts of the country.

The night preceding these events was also not calm. The Ukrainian Air Force reported several times about groups of Shahed drones heading towards Ukraine. Kyiv's air defence managed to shoot down a dozen drones over the capital's suburbs, likely preventing more severe damage to the city.

A particularly dangerous situation occurred in Lutsk, where a Russian attack caused damage to residential buildings. The Mayor of Lutsk, Ihor Polishchuk, reported that one person died as a result of the attack, and rescue services were working on the scene.

In the Poltava province, also affected by the attack, missiles hit an industrial facility, injuring at least five people. Explosions were also heard in the cities of Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Lutsk, and in the Lviv province, neighbouring Poland.

Kyiv found itself in a particularly difficult situation. The city declared the highest level of threat.

Due to the massive attacks on Ukraine, Anton Herashchenko, a former advisor at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, posted a touching video to his social media. It shows crowds of people hiding in the Kyiv subway.

Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were attacked by ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. Very loud explosions were heard. One person died in Lutsk, at least one in the Dnipropetrovsk province. Power outages in various areas. The Kyiv subway is operating as a shelter - he wrote in the description of the video.

Just before 9 a.m. ET Kira Rudyk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, also posted an emotional message.

Still sheltering. No electricity. No water - reads Rudyk's post.

This post was immediately flooded with comments from internet users expressing their unity, solidarity, and support for Ukraine during these very difficult times.