UPDATE FROM UKRAINE: Russia used Iran-made drones, missiles in deadly strikes on several cities – Zelensky

The claim could not be independently verified.

There were at least three blasts initially heard in Kyiv at around 8:15 a.m. local time, peak rush hour. An hour later, further explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital.

Prior to Monday’s attack, Russia’s last strike on Kyiv took place on June 26.

At least eight people were killed and 24 were injured in just one of the Kyiv strikes, according to preliminary information, said Rostyslav Smirnov, an adviser to the Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs.

Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said there were “several hits on objects of the city’s critical infrastructure.”

A reporter for the BBC was live on air at the time of the first wave of strikes.

Lesia Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine’s 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.

Video posted to social media appeared to show a park and a pedestrian bridge severely damaged in explosions.

The Kyiv strikes marked the start of an intensive wave of attacks on targets across Ukraine.

Ukraine’s presidency said there were hits on “many” cities in Ukraine.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said that parts of the city were without electricity and hot water following a Russian strike, The Guardian reported.

A telecommunications building was hit in the central city of Dnipro, one of several strikes that caused at least three deaths.

The eastern city of Kharkiv was struck multiple times Monday morning, knocking out power in parts of the city.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that the energy infrastructure building was hit and there was no electricity and water in some of the districts of the city.

Bystanders said that two rockets hit the building in the western end of the city. A heavily damaged bus could be seen on the street in front of the building, which was strewn with rubble and broken glass.

The attacks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called the attack that damaged the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea “a terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special services.

The Kerch Bridge, which holds important strategic and symbolic value to Russia in its faltering war in Ukraine, was hit Saturday by what Moscow has said was a truck bomb. Road and rail traffic on the bridge were temporarily halted, damaging a vital supply route for the Kremlin’s forces.