Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed a wave of deadly missile strikes on Ukraine’s biggest cities, killing at least 11 civilians. 

The ‘brutal’ attack was in retaliation for the crippling of Putin’s personal project, the Kerch bridge, which links Russia to Crimea.

Editor at Large for New Voice of Ukraine, Euan McDonald, told Laurel, Gary & Mark the attack was carried out “where there were no military targets”.

Press PLAY below to hear how Ukraine is reacting to the attacks 

It comes as Belarus claims Ukraine is planning attacks on its territory and announced it would form a “regional group of troops” with Moscow.

“We have been preparing for this for decades,” Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said. “If necessary, we will respond.”

Dr Sonia Mycak, a research fellow at the ANU Centre for European Studies, said the Ukrainian people are bracing themselves for more attacks.

“It’s more of the same, to have had 84 missiles strikes across 10 cities in one day at peak hour first thing in the morning when people are getting up and trying to move around and do their daily business, it is an escalation of sorts,” she told Sofie Formica.

“The death till is rising, and of course the death toll doesn’t take into account the injured.”

She said it was an act designed to terrorise the population, create panic and a brazen attempt to beat the country into submission.

Press PLAY below to hear her analysis in full

Image: Ed Ram/Getty Images