Russia extends strikes in Ukraine as death toll from Monday’s barrage rises

Russia pressed forward with its airstrikes against Ukraine on Tuesday as the death toll from Monday’s missile strikes rose to 19.

Russia launched two more series of strikes on Tuesday morning, firing 28 cruise missiles at its neighbor, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced. The Ukrainian military said it shot down 20 of these cruise missiles, along with 13 drones.

The continued shelling follows a series of strikes on Monday that left at least 19 dead and 105 injured, according to Ukraine’s emergency services.

Monday’s strikes, which targeted Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv and nearly a dozen other regions, came after a Friday bombing destroyed a portion of a key bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, potentially cutting off a major Russian resupply artery.

Russia launched more than 90 rocket and airstrikes on Monday, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.

In the face of the shelling, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russia is attempting to “wipe us off the face of the earth.”

President Biden and other international leaders condemned the attacks on Monday, pledging continued support for Ukraine.