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Russia unleashes wave of missiles on Ukraine as West condemns Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the barrage of missile fire on numerous Ukrainian cities on Monday as a response to “terrorist attacks” on Russian territory and warned that even tougher strikes could come.
Putin’s remarks at a Russian Security Council meeting came as the seven-month-old war saw a dramatic escalation with the targeting of city centres and infrastructure across Ukraine.
The attacks killed 14 people and injured 97 across the country, according to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry on Monday evening. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening address put the toll at 12 deaths and more than 80 injuries.
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International condemnation was swift, with world leaders using words such as “terrorism” and “war crimes.”
Russia fired more than 80 missiles across Ukrainian cities, the government in Kiev said, with air defence systems intercepting about half of them.
At least 36 were injured in the capital alone and deaths were reported, officials said.
Moscow’s rockets followed a weekend explosion that damaged the strategically important bridge connecting the annexed Crimean peninsula to mainland Russia. Putin blames Kiev for the attack on the infrastructure, which is used to supply Russian troops in Ukraine. Kiev has not taken responsibility.
Putin warned: “In case of continuation of attempts to carry out terrorist attacks on our territory, the responses from the Russian side will be harsh – and in their scale will correspond to the level of threat to the Russian Federation.”
The Russian attacks by air, ground and sea, which Moscow’s Defence Ministry said achieved their goals, were an “act of terror” according to Zelensky.
Kiev’s air raid alert was lifted in the early afternoon, after 5 hours and 37 minutes, the longest since the war began on Feb. 24.
City Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to remain cautious.
Ukraine’s capital has been hit by Russian missiles several times since the beginning of the war, although Monday’s was the worst incident of its kind and the first attack on Kiev in months.l
It follows Ukraine winning back territory lost earlier in the war as part of a counter-offensive. Putin’s attempt to change the narrative also comes amid problems with Moscow’s partial mobilization of new troops, with Putin saying on Monday that mistakes must be dealt with.
Russian rocket attacks were also reported in other parts of Ukraine, from Lviv in the far west to areas of the contested east.
Power failed in parts of the eastern city of Kharkiv following three Russian air attacks, with one targeting energy infrastructure, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on the Telegram messaging app.
Parts of Lviv were also without power after damage to energy infrastructure. Ukraine called on all citizens to switch off electrical appliances in the evening to not overload the power grid.
Four deaths were reported by authorities as a result of a missile strike in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, Mayor Vadim Lyakh said.
“Ukraine cannot be intimidated. We united even more instead,” Zelensky said in his evening video address, which was recorded by a damaged road junction near a Kiev university rather than his well-secured presidential office as is usually the case.
Zelensky said that that there were only civilian targets in and around a park in front of the university and no military installations, which Russia said it had hit.
“The occupiers cannot confront us on the battlefield and that is why they resort to this terror,” Zelensky said.
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities as having “no military purpose.”
“They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people,” Biden said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated the alliance’s support for Ukraine after speaking to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Stoltenberg “condemned Russia’s horrific [and] indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine” while UN Secretary General António Guterres was “deeply shocked” and India said it was “deeply concerned.”
European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter: “These indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes.”
After the latest escalation in the war, Group of Seven (G7) leaders plan to hold a video call with the Ukrainian leader on Tuesday.
Four deaths were reported by authorities as a result of a missile strike in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, Mayor Vadim Lyakh said.
“Ukraine cannot be intimidated. We united even more instead,” Zelensky said in his evening video address, which was recorded by a damaged road junction near a Kiev university rather than his well-secured presidential office as is usually the case.
Zelensky said that that there were only civilian targets in and around a park in front of the university and no military installations, which Russia said it had hit.
“The occupiers cannot confront us on the battlefield and that is why they resort to this terror,” Zelensky said.
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities as having “no military purpose.”
“They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people,” Biden said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated the alliance’s support for Ukraine after speaking to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Stoltenberg “condemned Russia’s horrific [and] indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine” while UN Secretary General António Guterres was “deeply shocked” and India said it was “deeply concerned.”
European Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter: “These indiscriminate attacks on civilians are war crimes.”
After the latest escalation in the war, Group of Seven (G7) leaders plan to hold a video call with the Ukrainian leader on Tuesday.
Zelensky meanwhile had spoken to a number of leaders including Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In further justifying Monday’s barrage, Putin claimed there had been three Ukrainian attacks on the Russian nuclear power plant in Kursk.
He also accused Ukraine of shelling the nuclear power plant occupied by Russian troops in the Zaporizhzhya region annexed by Moscow.
Despite his leader’s comments, Russian parliamentarian Yevgeny Popov told the BBC: “We’re not going to attack civilians in Ukraine, we’re not going to attack people.”
The UN General Assembly is currently deliberating on Russia’s recent annexations of parts of Ukraine in defiance of international law.
Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, composer, and cultural icon whose career spanned over seven decades, has passed away at the age of 91.
Jones died peacefully on Sunday night at his Bel Air home, surrounded by family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Renowned for his unmatched versatility, Jones collaborated with some of the greatest musical talents of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Will Smith. He played an integral role in producing Jackson’s groundbreaking albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, which catapulted the pop star to global superstardom and earned Jones worldwide acclaim.
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Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones’ journey into music began early. His childhood introduction came from a neighbor’s piano playing and his mother’s singing. After moving to Washington state following his parents’ divorce, he honed his skills in his high school band and began playing with a young Ray Charles in Seattle’s vibrant club scene.
Jones’ career took off in New York, where he played trumpet in Elvis Presley’s early TV performances and worked with bebop legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1958, he was working with Frank Sinatra, arranging for the singer’s band at the request of Princess Grace Kelly. Their partnership flourished, spanning several projects including Sinatra’s final album LA Is My Lady in 1984.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Jones’ talents extended into film and television scores, composing music for films such as The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, and the acclaimed The Color Purple, for which he earned three Oscar nominations. He also scored hit TV shows including The Bill Cosby Show and Roots.
In 1985, Jones produced and co-conducted the charity anthem “We Are the World” alongside Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, raising millions for Ethiopian famine relief. Despite personal and professional challenges—including surviving a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1974—Jones’s career continued to thrive.
Jones’ influence wasn’t limited to music. In 1990, he founded Quincy Jones Entertainment, the company behind the popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. His media ventures also included the creation of Qwest TV, an on-demand music streaming service, and the magazine Vibe, which celebrated Black music and culture.
Over his career, Jones earned 80 Grammy nominations, winning 28—making him one of the most decorated artists in the award’s history. Tributes poured in following news of his death. Actor Michael Caine, who shared Jones’ birthdate, called him “a wonderful and unique human being.” Music artists such as LL Cool J expressed gratitude, saying, “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed one. Music would not be music without you.”
Jones is survived by his seven children, leaving behind an indelible legacy that will resonate through generations to come. His life’s work transformed music, television, and culture, proving that there truly was no limit to what Quincy Jones could accomplish.
Singer and rapper Jesse Jagz has called on Nigerians to rethink their approach to religion.
Jagz suggested that African traditional religious gods have become ineffective, attributing this to the excessive alcohol given to them during rituals, which, according to him, has made them obese, diabetic, and unable to aid their worshipers.
Speaking on the ‘Big Talk’ podcast, the rapper also criticized followers of foreign religions for relying solely on prayer and expecting miracles without putting in the necessary effort. He stressed that prayers alone cannot provide essential social services or infrastructure.
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“When you go to a shrine and you see the priest pouring gin on the gods, Google how much a bottle of gin was in slavery. 40 slaves.
“Our gods are drunk on alcohol and meat. They are obese and diabetic.
“They can’t help us do anything. Prayers do not build roads or buy books for children. We have forgotten humanity,” he said.
Renowned Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, known by his stage name Davido, has stated that he receives special treatment globally due to his celebrity status.
The Afrobeats sensation mentioned that he is frequently invited to presidential dinners in nearly every country he visits, with the exception of the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a recent interview with Kiss Fresh London, Davido confidently shared that his fanbase includes influential figures such as the World Bank president, presidents of powerful nations, and other notable personalities.
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“Every country we go to, the President invites us for dinner except London [United Kingdom] and the United States of America.
“It’s beautiful to see. I mean, leaving my country, Nigeria, and people welcoming me like the president in other countries, shows how well Nigeria is doing around the world in terms of music and cultural impacts,” he said.
Davido has expressed that he feels most respected in Africa, which is why he cherishes his African tours more than those in Europe and America, even though the latter bring him greater financial rewards.
He shared that his Jamaican collaborator, YG Marley, was astonished by the immense admiration from fans when he visited Nigeria for the video shoot of their joint hit, ‘Awuke.’
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