UPDATE 3 - 18 killed, 130 injured in Russian airstrikes on Ukraine

ADDS DEATH TOLL; CHANGES DECK

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - At least 18 people were killed Tuesday in Russian airstrikes on various regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv.

"First of all, concerning the Russian strike in the morning...130 people were wounded or injured. All of them are being provided with the necessary assistance. Unfortunately, 18 people were killed," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an evening address.

He said more than 200 sites were struck, including 139 houses.

"In particular, the rescue operation in Kharkiv is still underway – the rubble of the building is being dismantled," he added.

Conveying his condolences to the families and friends of the victims, Zelenskyy warned that the death toll may rise.

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry said the country's armed forces carried out strikes in the morning which targeted "facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine that produce missiles and their components, ammunition and explosives."

"The aim of the strike has been achieved. All designated targets were hit," the statement added.

Moscow and Kyiv have exchanged accusations over airstrikes against each other that have intensified since late December, when at least 40 people were killed in various regions of Ukraine in a massive air attack which Zelenskyy described as the "heaviest attack" since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

On Jan. 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would not let “a single crime of this kind” go unpunished following an attack on the Russian city of Belgorod which killed 25 people and wounded many others.

*Diyar Guldogan from Washington contributed to this report