Putin: We Can't 'Leave Such Crimes Unanswered'

Vladimir Putin is definitely not happy about this weekend's explosion on the bridge between Russia and Crimea, which he slammed as an act of Ukrainian terrorism despite no one yet claiming responsibility. Now, after months of relative calm, the heart of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was hit with missile strikes on Monday morning, as were other cities across Ukraine. Not surprisingly, the Russian president says the strikes are retaliation for the bridge blast, reports the New York Times, which notes the attacks comprise "the broadest aerial assault against civilians and critical infrastructure since the early days of Moscow's invasion." So far, at least 11 people have been counted among the dead, and nearly 90 have been wounded, while electricity, water, and internet services have been been knocked out in multiple cities.

Other than Kyiv, other cities hit include Lviv in the west, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia in the south, and the northeast's Kharkiv. "It is simply impossible to leave such crimes unanswered," Putin said in a brief TV address after the strikes, per CNN. In his own video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russians "want panic and chaos. They want to destroy our energy system." He added that energy facilities had been hit in a dozen regions across Ukraine. The death and destruction could've been much worse: The general staff of Ukraine's armed forces says that 84 missiles were fired, but Ukraine intercepted 43 of them and also shot down more than a dozen drones, per the Wall Street Journal.

Still, Russia's Defense Ministry "said the strikes had achieved their goal, with all designated targets hit," per the newspaper. Putin also warned that more attacks may be on the horizon, "If attempts to carry out terrorist attacks on our territory continue," he said in his TV statement, per CNN. World condemnation against the strikes was swift, including from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called them "another unacceptable escalation of the war," adding, "As always, civilians are paying the highest price." The G7 group of nations will hold an emergency videoconference meeting on Tuesday to address the latest developments. (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)