Barrage of strikes on 10 Ukrainian cities

New Delhi, October 10

India has expressed its deep concern at the escalation of conflict as a furious Russia retaliated against the bombing of the Crimean bridge with a barrage of lethal strikes against at least 10 cities in every region of Ukraine on Monday.

It’s a Reply to Ukrainian ‘terrorism’

Ukraine’s special services had not only partially destroyed the Crimean bridge, but had also tried to damage Kursk N-plant. In the third such attack, high-voltage lines were damaged. Kyiv regime has been using terrorist methods. Vladimir Putin

India deeply concerned

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India reiterates that the escalation of hostilities is in no one’s interest. We urge cessation of hostilities. India stands ready to support all efforts aimed at de-escalation. Arindam Bagchi, MEA Spokesperson

Avoid non-essential travel: Embassy

India on Monday issued an advisory on Ukraine, advising its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine and asking them to follow the safety guidelines issued by the local authorities. Indian nationals are requested to keep the embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the embassy to reach out to them, where required. TNS

There were reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office as well as several power plants were also hit. At least eight persons were reportedly killed in capital Kyiv alone.

Ukraine’s Emergency Service said at least 11 persons were killed and 64 were wounded in the morning attacks across Ukraine — the biggest and broadest since the early days of the war.

Russia targeted civilian areas and energy infrastructure as air raid sirens sounded in every region of Ukraine, except Crimea for four hours.

A day earlier, retaliation was almost certain after Putin called the attack on the Kerch Bridge a “terrorist act” by Ukrainian special services.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told the media, “India reiterates that the escalation of hostilities is in no one’s interest. We urge immediate cessation of hostilities and the urgent return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation.”

“India has consistently maintained since the beginning of the conflict that the global order is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” he added.

Putin said the Russian military launched precision weapons from the air, sea and ground to target key energy and military command facilities and warned that Moscow’s response would be “tough and proportionate to the level of threats” if Ukraine launched more such attacks.

Some strikes in downtown Kyiv in the morning hit the symbolic heart of the capital and, for the next four hours, missiles rained down on 10 cities, including Kharkiv, Lviv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi, knocking out electricity and water supply in many of them. Three of the cruise missiles were launched from Russian ships in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian President, in a video address, said the targets were civilian areas and energy facilities in the 10 cities. The General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces said 75 missiles were fired against Ukrainian targets, with 41 of them neutralised by air defences.

Zelenskyy said on his Telegram account that Russia was “trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth”.

The West will chalk out a response when the G7 bloc meets via a videoconference on Tuesday which Zelenskyy will address.