Russia carries out massive attacks on Ukrainian cities

Russia launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine on Tuesday, intensifying its deadly bombing campaign that began a day earlier and was one of the largest of the war. It hit Kyiv and several other major cities, including a hotel in Kryvyi Rih.

The attacks led to fires in parks in Kyiv and triggered air raid sirens in almost all parts of the country. In Kryvyi Rih, ballistic missiles hit a central hotel, killing two people and injuring five others. The head of the regional military administration, Serhiy Lysak, published photos of the collapsed ruins of the affected Aurora hotel on Telegram.

For the past year, Russia has launched large monthly volleys to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense systems with combinations of drones and missiles from various directions. But the bombing that began Monday could be particularly significant, coming just three weeks after a Ukrainian military buildup in Russia’s Kursk region. President Vladimir Putin had threatened a decisive response to the first invasion of Russia since World War II.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, repeated that message on Monday and promised an “appropriate response.” It remains unclear, however, whether the latest attacks should be seen as direct retaliation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Monday’s attacks “one of the biggest” challenges his country has faced since the Russian invasion began 30 months ago.

On Tuesday, another ballistic missile attack on the hotel in Kryvyi Rih caused further suffering, further escalating the already tense situation.