Russia says it launched major attack on Ukrainian infrastructure

Russia's defence ministry said on Monday it had carried out a large-scale attack on military targets and energy infrastructure across Ukraine using high-precision weapons.

In its daily briefing the defence ministry said it had hit "all designated targets" in the latest bombardment of Ukrainian cities and also thwarted an attempt by Ukraine to breach its defences in the southern Kherson region.

Several people were killed in Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities on Monday, Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi said.

"During the day, Russia's armed forces continued to strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons at military command facilities and Ukraine's energy system. All designated objects were hit," the Russian defence ministry said.

Russia has escalated its missile strikes across Ukraine after an explosion hit a landmark bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula earlier this month.

Following that blast, Russia unleashed its largest missile attacks since the start of the invasion, hitting targets in more than a dozen cities and regions across the country, and has launched several follow-up missile strikes in the days since.