Russia launched a massive attack on Ukrainian cities on Monday, firing more than 40 missiles that killed at least 24 people and injured dozens, including hitting a children’s hospital in kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said.
“Russian terrorists have again heavily attacked Ukraine with missiles. Different cities: kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rig, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk. More than 40 missiles of different types. Residential buildings, infrastructure and a children’s hospital were damaged.”Volodymyr Zelensky reacted on Telegram.
The toll from these bombings deep into Ukrainian territory was rising at midday.
In the central city of Kryvyi Rig, the mayor announced that at least 10 people had been killed and 41 injured in strikes that hit a factory in particular. In kyiv, the prosecutor’s office reported nine dead and 35 injured.
“One of the most important children’s hospitals in Europe” was damaged in the capital, “There are people under the rubble and the exact number of victims is currently unknown.”Zelensky lambasted on X, posting a video of the damaged building.
“Russia cannot claim that it does not know where its missiles are falling and must be held fully responsible”he added, implying that the building was directly hit by the Russian missile and not by debris from a Russian missile that was destroyed in the air or by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile that fell.
Missile Rain
Medics assist Kiev residents injured after a missile attack, July 8, 2024 / Anatolii STEPANOV / AFP
At the scene, an AFP journalist noted that the road leading to the hospital was partially blocked by police. Patients and nurses in uniform had gathered in the hospital grounds, next to the destroyed building.
“It is very important that the world does not remain silent and that everyone sees what Russia is doing”said Mr. Zelensky, on the eve of an important NATO summit in Washington and a few hours before the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Moscow.
Near the front line in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukrainian authorities announced that:“at least three people” had died in Pokrovsk,” after the morning strikes, which also hit a factory, according to the regional governor, Vadym Filachkine.
In Dnipro, military authorities reported one dead and six wounded.
A building of the children’s hospital in kyiv destroyed by a missile strike, July 8, 2024 / Roman PILIPEY / AFP
Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said the Russians had fired “cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, as well as Kinjal”air-to-ground missiles.
The Russian military regularly strikes deep inside Ukrainian territory, targeting infrastructure such as energy facilities and factories and killing civilians in a strategy aimed at undermining Ukrainian morale.
Ukraine has only a limited number of air defense systems and munitions and is demanding more from its Western allies.
Private energy operator DTEK reported on Telegram that three of its transformer substations had been destroyed or damaged in kyiv.
Zelensky in Warsaw ahead of NATO summit
The strikes come at a time when the Russian army has been gaining ground on the eastern front line for months and is trying to take advantage of the Ukrainian army’s difficulties in replenishing its ranks and obtaining more weapons and ammunition from the West.
These attacks also take place on the eve of the NATO meeting in the United States, where the support provided by this alliance to kyiv will be widely discussed, as well as the uncertainties surrounding the upcoming American elections and the possible victory of Donald Trump.
The latter has repeatedly said that he would end the war very quickly, which would implicitly be to the detriment of the Ukrainians who have been resisting the Russian invasion for almost two and a half years.
Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Warsaw on Monday, before heading to the summit in Washington.
At the same time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected in Moscow on Monday afternoon. This traditional ally of the Russians has not explicitly condemned the offensive against Ukraine that began in February 2022 and abstains from voting on UN resolutions against Russia.
In addition to the victims killed by the missiles, five people died when their car hit a mine on a forest road in the northeastern Kharkiv region, local authorities said, claiming the device had been planted by the Russians.
