Kyiv was rocked by large explosions on Monday morning as missiles rained down on cities across Ukraine in apparent retaliation for the attack on a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there were dead and wounded in blasts that rocked cities across country and accused Russia of trying to wipe his country "off the face of the earth."
“They are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth...destroy our people who are sleeping at home in (the city of) Zaporizhzhia. Kill people who go to work in Dnipro and Kyiv,” Mr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.
Prime Minister Liz Truss has condemned the attacks, saying they were “a sign of Ukrainian success and increasing desperation by Putin in response” during a call with Mr Zelensky on Monday afternoon.
US President Joe Biden added: “These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose.They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people.”
At least ten people have been killed and 60 have been injured, according to latest estimates.
In a speech on Monday, Vladimir Putin confirmed the strikes on a range of locations in Ukraine.
He also promised a “harsh” response to any further “terrorist” acts on Russian territory.
