Russia attacks Ukraine, kills at least 14 civilians

Ukraine endured its worst air strikes in months Monday after an attack against a bridge linking Crimea to Russia last weekend. Russia struck civilian targets in Ukraine far from the front lines in at least 14 different regions. Ukraine’s Emergency Service said roughly 100 people were wounded. The strikes also knocked out power to much of Ukraine, which also meant a water shortage for many in the country.

Why this attack now? Vladimir Putin said his forces used “precision weapons” to target energy infrastructure and military command facilities. Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the strikes had no “practical military sense” and that Russia’s goal was to cause a “humanitarian catastrophe.” Putin vowed a “tough” and “proportionate” response should Ukraine carry out further attacks that threaten Russia’s security.

Dig deeper: Read a report by World Journalism Institute students about Ukrainian refugees in Poland.