Ukraine’s capital Kyiv rocked by several blasts, mayor says

Several explosions hit the centre of Kyiv- Ukraine’s capital- on Monday morning, its mayor said. Clouds of black smoke could be seen rising from buildings in videos widely shared on social media.

“Several explosions in the Shevchenskivskyi district – in the centre of the capital,” Vitali Klitschko said. “Details later.”

The explosions took place around 0815 local time after months of relative calm in Kyiv and air raid sirens sounded in the Ukrainian capital more than an hour before the blasts, AFP reported.

The spokesperson for Emergency Service in Kyiv told Associated Press that there are many wounded people. Rescuers are now working in different locations as explosions were also reported in Lyiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky said that there were many dead and wounded in explosions across Ukraine. “They (Russia) are trying to destroy us and wipe us off the face of the Earth,” Zelensky said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said that the blast a day earlier on the bridge over the Kerch Strait was “an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure”. The Kerch Strait is a major supply route for Moscow’s forces in southern Ukraine.

“This was devised, carried out and ordered by the Ukrainian special services,” Putin said.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the blast.