Russia says it strikes key Kyiv bridge, 2 cargo vessels in Black Sea

Russia on Sunday said its forces struck the Northern bridge over the Dnipro River in Kyiv, alleging that the route was being used to transport Ukrainian troops and military cargo.The Russian defence ministry also said its forces hit two dry cargo vessels carrying military equipment to the port of Odesa in the northwestern Black Sea.In an earlier statement, the ministry said Russian forces had struck a dry cargo vessel east of Odesa overnight. It also reported attacks on a Nova Poshta logistics centre in Chornomorsk and a data centre in Odesa, Reuters reported.The latest attacks came after Russian authorities vowed to intensify strikes on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had told Reuters that Kyiv would step up attacks on Russian oil refineries.The escalation comes amid continued strikes by both sides on military and infrastructure targets as the Russia-Ukraine war enters another phase of intensified attacks.The Russian defence ministry also said its air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed 559 Ukrainian drones between 2000 Moscow time (1700 GMT) on Saturday and 0800 Moscow time (0500 GMT) on Sunday.According to the ministry, the drones were intercepted over several Russian regions as well as areas above the Azov and Black seas.Russia and Ukraine have continued to launch drone and missile attacks deep inside each other's territory, with energy and logistics infrastructure among the key targets.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.