In a fresh round of escalations in the now eight-month-long Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow military hurled a barrage of missiles against Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, early Monday, striking civilian targets in what could be Moscow retaliation for the bombing of a key bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea. The recent offensive is the latest in line of a spate of such attacks carried out by the Kremlin as fighting rages on to establish control over key Ukrainian cities.

Blasts target universities, refugee camps, and energy installations

Blasts were reported in the city Shevchenko district, a large area in the center of Kyiv that includes the historic old town as well as several government offices, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine parliament, posted a photo on Twitter showing that at least one explosion occurred near the main building of the Kyiv National University in central Kyiv.

After the first early morning strikes in Kyiv, more loud explosions were heard later in the morning in an intensification of Russia attack that could spell a major escalation in the war.

Ukrainian media also reported explosions in a number of other locations, including the western city of Lviv that has been a refuge for many people fleeing the fighting in the east, as well as Kharkiv, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr and Kropyvnytskyi.

In Lviv, energy infrastructure was hit, Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said.

8 civilians dead, several others wounded

The Kyiv Independent confirmed on twitter that the death toll from Monday morning strikes presently stands at eight, with around 25 civilians left severely injured.

Meanwhile, Associated Press journalists in the center of Dnipro city saw the bodies of multiple people killed at an industrial site on the city outskirts. Windows in the area had been blown out and glass littered the street.

Retaliatory strikes

The multiple strikes came a few hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to hold a meeting with his security council, as Moscow war in Ukraine approaches its eight-month milestone and the Kremlin reels from humiliating battlefield setbacks in areas it is trying to annex amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive in recent weeks.

A day earlier, Putin had called the attack on the Kerch Bridge to Crimea a terrorist act carried out by Ukrainian special services. In a meeting Sunday with the chairman of Russia Investigative Committee, Putin said “there no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure.”

Since September, Kyiv has launched multiple counteroffensives against the Kremlin to regain control over annexed territories in eastern Ukraine. Since the beginning, the counter-offensive has liberated several towns such as Izium and Lyman, which were key Russian military hubs prior to liberation.

(With inputs from Associated Press)