Russia launches air strikes, hitting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine

Russia launched a series of missiles and air strikes on Ukraine's residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure, CNN reported on Monday (local time) citing the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces.

According to Ukraine's armed forces, Russia had launched five missiles and a total of 68 airstrikes. Russia fired 42 times from multiple launch rocket systems at Ukrainian troop positions and other populated areas, it said on Telegram.

The attacks resulted in casualties and injuries, the general staff said but did not provide detailed information on casualty figures.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, more than 15 localities came under fire, including Mala, Tokmachka, Orikhov, Robotyne and Stepnohirsk, the general staff said.

Russia launched an air strike near Budarky in Kharkiv region and more than 10 localities came under artillery fire in the area of Kupiansk, it added.

The general staff said Ukrainian forces were able to repel strikes in the area north of Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian Defense Forces also conducted offensive operations in the Melitopol area on Monday, including 11 strikes on Russian positions and two strikes on anti-aircraft missile systems, as per CNN.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin met in Russia's southern coastal city of Sochi amid efforts to bring Moscow back into the critical Black Sea grain deal that was abandoned by Putin in July.

But, unfortunately, there was no signal of a major change in Erdogan's balancing act between Russia and the West, when he and Putin stood side by side in the Russian resort city of Sochi and spoke of further expanding their countries' partnership.

They would increase trade and work together on energy issues, they said, despite efforts by Erdogan's NATO allies to cripple Russia's economy and limit its access to global energy markets, reported CNN.

On Sunday Russian forces attacked Ukrainian port facilities on the Danube River used for food exports.

At least two people were injured in the strikes, a regional military spokesman said. Port infrastructure was hit, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished.

Ukraine's Air Force said 25 drones were used in overnight attacks on the Odesa region, 22 of which were shot down, according to CNN.

The Russia-Ukraine war that started on February 24, 2022, has taken numerous lives and the war continues to escalate between the two nations even now.