<div style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Russia has been widely condemned after bombarding cities across Ukraine, including launching missile strikes on the centre of Kyiv for the first time.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The US said the "brutal" attacks had hit non-military targets, including a university and children's playground, and promised ongoing military aid.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply shocked".</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vladimir Putin said the attacks were retaliation for Saturday's explosion on a key bridge linking Russia to Crimea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine says 83 missiles were launched of which more than 43 were shot down.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a defiant video, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "Ukraine cannot be intimidated. It can only be more united."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The deadly barrage included strikes on the cities of Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, and were some of the worst Ukraine has seen for months.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At least 14 people were killed and scores more were injured, officials said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several regions were left without electricity and water after missiles hit energy infrastructure.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Residents in the capital Kyiv said Russia appeared to be targeting civilian areas which were busy with Monday morning commuters, including the children's playground, university and the popular Taras Shevchenko park.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Antonio Guterres described the strikes as "another unacceptable escalation of the war" for which civilians were paying the highest price.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The EU said a war crime had been committed, while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Russia stood for terror and brutality.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">US President Joe Biden was one of many foreign leaders to speak with President Zelensky, and he "pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defence systems", the White House said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Biden said the attacks demonstrated "the utter brutality" of Putin's "illegal war".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">China and India, which have not condemned the war, called for a de-escalation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">ON THE GROUND: Shock and horror as playgrounds and bridges hit</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">BACKGROUND: Who - or what - blew up the Crimean bridge?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">IN RUSSIA: Russian hawks celebrate deadly response to setbacks</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ambassador to the UN, said his family had been in a residential area in Ukraine when it was attacked by the latest Russian missiles and they were unable to go to a bomb shelter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said Russia had already killed some of his relatives, calling it "a terrorist state" that must be deterred in the strongest possible ways to prevent further atrocities. He added that Russia's delegation to the UN left "a trail of blood" whenever it entered the General Assembly hall.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The General Assembly is holding an emergency meeting following Russia's latest attacks. Although the session was convened because of the Kremlin's annexation of four partly-occupied Ukrainian regions following sham referendums, it has been overshadowed by this morning's attacks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russian missiles began hitting targets across Ukraine around the morning rush hour on Monday, in the most widespread bombardment of the war.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ihor Zhovka, deputy head of President Zelensky's office, said they were designed to sow panic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The strikes were more intense than had previously been seen, he told the BBC, and in some ways resembled the early days of the war.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He added that this had not come as a surprise, and was a sign of things to come during the "very difficult" winter ahead.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia's President Putin said the attacks were in retaliation to Saturday's explosion on the bridge linking the occupied Crimea peninsula to Russia which he blamed on Ukraine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine has not confirmed it was behind that strike. Mr Zhovka said he did not entirely believe that the Russian attacks were a retaliation, as Kyiv has been hit before.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr Putin warned he was ready to authorise more "severe" attacks, while deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that "the first episode has been played. There will be others". BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</div></div>