Russian strikes hit Ukraine, most of Kyiv without water
Kyiv: A massive barrage of Russian strikes on Monday morning hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities, knocking out water and power supplies in apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Fleet over the weekend.
The mayor of Ukraine's capital said that 80 per cent of consumers in Kyiv were left without water supplies "due to the damage to a power facility near" the city from Russian military strikes on Monday.
Local authorities were working on restoring the supplies as soon as possible, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, telling Kyiv residents in the meantime to "stock up on water from the nearest pump rooms and points of sale."
In a separate Telegram post, Klitschko added that water supplies in some areas of Kyiv will be restored in "three to four hours," and power had already been restored in one of the city's districts.
Loud explosions were heard across the Ukrainian capital in the early morning as residents prepared to go to work. Many received text messages from the emergency services about the threat of a missile attack, and air raid sirens wailed for three straight hours.
The attacks occurred just before Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and many top members of his government, including the foreign, defence and interior ministers, arrived in Kyiv in the latest show of support from European leaders for Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said there was no justification for Russia launching missiles meant to inflict so much suffering on civilians.
"Don't justify these attacks by calling them a 'response'. Russia does this because it still has the missiles and the will to kill Ukrainians," he tweeted.
There was a heavy military presence north of Kyiv. Smoke was rising from the left bank of the Dnieper River, either from a missile strike or where it was shot down by Ukrainian forces.
A resident of the area said he heard four loud explosions that rocked the area.
"At first I thought I heard a jet going by, but then I realised it was a missile," said Serhii, who refused to give his full name.
