By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Following Russian missile strikes across Ukraine, Dmitro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign on Monday said he was cutting short a visit to Africa.
“I am in constant contact with partners since early morning today to coordinate a resolute response to Russians attacks. I am also interrupting my Africa tour and heading back to Ukraine immediately,” he wrote on Twitter.
Russian missile strikes across Ukraine have taken at least 10 lives and has injured dozens.
The missiles also struck Ukrainian capital Kyiv. This is first major bombardment across Ukraine after Kerch bridge, a key bridge joining Russia and Russian-annexed Crimea was damaged in a truck bomb explosion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of being responsible for the explosion.
The bridge is an important route that transport soldiers and military equipment to Crimea. This in turn aides Russian war effort expecially in southern Ukraine. The bridge also has a high symbolic value as it was personally inaugurated by Putin himself.
Putin said his country had launched long-range missiles against Ukrainian energy, military and communications infrastructure. He said the barrage of missile fire on Monday was a response to “terrorist attacks” on Russian territory and warned an even harsher “response” could come.
Missiles tore into Kyiv, the most intense strikes on the city since Russia abandoned an attempt to capture it in the early weeks of the war that started in late February.
Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in Ukraine’s west; Dnipro and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine; Zaporizhzhia in the south; and Kharkiv in the east
Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24. After sustained gains in the initial months of the invasion, Russian forces have had to retreat in the face of counteroffensive initiated by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine has been able to recapture thousands of miles of territory.
