Massive Response By Russia Underway

Putin's wrath unleashed: 83 Russian missiles are fired at Ukrainian cities, bringing death and destruction across the country - with Vladimir warning there will be a 'severe' response to further 'attacks'

CHRIS PLEASANCE  and DAN SALES FOR MAILONLINE

Vladimir Putin has vowed a 'severe' response to attacks on Russia after firing dozens of missiles at Ukraine this morning, blowing up power networks and killing civilians in retaliation for the Crimean bridge blast at the weekend.

At least 83 rockets were fired, Ukraine's military said, with half shot down but half slamming into cities across the country. At least 11 people were killed and 60 wounded, Ukraine said, with eight of those deaths and 24 injuries in Kyiv alone. Rockets also hit the German consulate, but the building was empty.

A mixture of missiles and Iranian-made suicide drones were used to strike the cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, northern Kharkiv and Sumy, central Zhytomyr and Vinnytsia, and even far-western Ternopil and Lviv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Some of these cities have not been hit in months.

Putin said he ordered strikes on 'military, communications, and energy infrastructure' after what he called 'terrorist' attacks by Ukraine - pointing to the Kerch Bridge attack but also accusing Kyiv of bombing one of its own nuclear plants, attacking gas pipes and assassinating officials and journalists. 

Putin said: 'Kyiv's regime, with its actions, places itself in line with international terrorist organisations. Leaving such crimes without response is impossible. In case of continuing attacks we will respond in [a] harsh manner and in line with [the] level of threats to [the] Russian Federation. Nobody should have any doubt about this.'

Dmitry Medvedev, a staunch ally of Putin, called today's attacks the 'first episode'. Dictator Alexander Lukashenko then announced Russian troops will deploy with his forces in Belarus, accusing Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland of 'preparing attacks' against him. Belarus has acted as a staging post for Russia's invasion, but has not yet joined in.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the bridge attack and blames Russia for strikes on nuclear infrastructure and gas pipes. Zelensky said today's missile attacks had targeted power networks, water supplies, and civilians in an attempt to 'sow terror'. 'Russia is trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the earth,' he added.

Videos and pictures from the Ukrainian capital showed burning cars and bodies in the streets as officials said rockets hit close to a well-known memorial to a famous statesman, near a children's play area in a park, and a pedestrian bridge. More footage showed an apartment block in Dnipro in flames.

Putin spoke at a meeting with his security cabinet today to plot further revenge. As the talks got underway, Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko announced that a 'joint military task force' with Russian troops would be deployed on his western border. Lukashenko has so far not committed any forces to the war.

Meanwhile hardliners within Russia demanded a declaration of full war and the use of nuclear weapons. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had ruled out the atomic option on Sunday, but that will do little to dampen fears as Putin runs out of options having already annexed occupied territory and conscripted hundreds of thousands of troops.

Ukrainian social media networks were flooded with videos of defiance in the wake of the attacks, as people in bomb shelters and in the Kyiv subway network sung the national anthem and other patriotic songs even as bombs fell.

Widespread power outages were reported after the Russian salvo, with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal saying 11 'key infrastructure facilities' were hit without giving further details. Some cities were also reported to have water shortages.

Supporters of the Russian president had been calling on the despot to 'stop talking' and 'painfully beat' the Kyivregime ahead of his Security Council meeting, despite the Kremlin playing down fears of a nuclear response.

Ukrainian civilians had been warned by the deputy governor of Russia's southern Stavropol region Valery Chernitsov to expect a critical response.

In a menacing video posted on Twitter, he said: 'Ukrainians, leave your cities, especially the large ones. Because a big surprise is waiting for you. Sarmat missiles are ready to strike.'

But it was Putin's former adviser Sergei Markov who urged his former chief to 'punish' Ukraine as well as its allies following the destruction of the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, the Telegraph reported.

'It's time for Russia to stop talking and instead begin silently and painfully beating them,' he said. 

Zelensky hit back at his counterpart's claims of terrorism, highlighting Russian missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia which he says have killed at least 43 people this week alone.

In a video addressing the world, the Kyiv leader said: 'The constant terror against the civilian population is an obvious Russian refusal to engage in real negotiations.

'Terrorism is a crime that must be punished. Terrorism at the state level is one of the most heinous international crimes, which threatens not just someone in the world, but the entire international community.'

Putin looks to be thinking about changing the way his regime is run as he responds to the humiliating counter-offensive from Kyiv forces.

After he instantly replaced his top commander with the infamous Sergei Surokivin, there is speculation he could now sack defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of staff, despite them remaining by his side for the past decade.

It is a dangerous sign that Mr Surokivin has been called up to the Russian president's side, considering his brutal tactics in Syria as well as his history in firing at democracy protesters in the 90s. 

Russian officials had predicted retaliation of the highest order after the bridge attack. Alexander Baskin, a Russian senator, confidently suggested that the Kremlin's response would be 'adequate, conscious and possibly asymmetric', the Mirror reported. 

He added: 'This was a declaration of war without rules.'

A red-faced Putin yesterday blamed Ukrainian special forces for the explosion which severely damaged the key link to the Russian mainland. 

The livid president said the blast at Kerch Bridge was designed to destroy 'critically important civilian infrastructure'. He declared that the attack was a terrorist incident.

Speaking before today's Russian attacks, Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, said Putin could order the indiscriminate shelling of Ukrainian cities and could even 'go nuclear'. 

However, the Kremlin has played down fears from Western observers that it could use nuclear weapons, saying it is 'completely incorrect' that it was considering using them in response.

Russian governors predicted today's revenge missile attacks after the destruction of the bridge on Saturday morning, which was considered to be one of Putin's pet projects.

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