Explosions rock central Kyiv in apparent missile strikes

AP

15:16 JST, October 10, 2022

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Multiple explosions rocked Kyiv early Monday following months of relative calm in the Ukrainian capital.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions in the city’s Shevchenko district, a large area in the center of Kyiv that includes the historic old town as well as several government offices.

Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, posted a photo on Twitter showing that at least one explosion occurred near the main building of the Kyiv National University in central Kyiv.

The spokesperson for Emergency Service in Kyiv told the AP that there are killed and wounded people. Rescuers are now working in different locations, said Svitlana Vodolaga.

The number of casualties is not yet known.

The explosions were heard by AP journalists and appeared to be the result of missile strikes.

The last previous attack on Kyiv was in June. One of the missiles struck an apartment building, killing one and wounding six. But unlike previous attacks that mostly hit Kyiv’s outskirts, Monday’s strike targeted several locations in the very center of the city.

Also on Monday morning, Associated Press journalists reported hearing explosions in the center of Dnipro city. Ukrainian media reported explosions in a number of other locations, including the western city of Lviv that has been a refuge for many people fleeing the fighting in the east.

Recent fighting has focused on the regions just north of Crimea, including Zaporizhzhia, where six missiles were launched overnight Saturday from Russian-occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region.

The renewed attacks follow an explosion that damaged the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin called that “a terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special services.