Five dead as Ukraine’s cities struck by Russian missiles

Kyiv — Russia unleashed missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during Wednesday morning’s rush hour, killing five people, wounding more than 30, and damaging residential buildings and energy infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said.

Four people were killed when debris from a missile hit an 18-storey residential building in Golosiivskyi district in the southwest of Kyiv, causing a fire and smashing windows, officials said. One person was killed in Mykolayiv in the south.

“Another massive attack against our state. Six regions were struck by the enemy. All our services are now working to cope with the consequences of this terror,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.

Air defences shot down 44 missiles and drones out of 64 launched by Russia in several waves, said Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander of Ukraine’s armed forces.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, in Kyiv on a two-day visit to underline EU support for Ukraine, posted a picture on social media platform X from a shelter.

“Starting my morning in the shelter as air alarms are sounding across Kyiv,” he said.

Borrell is discussing with top Ukrainian officials both EU military and financial support, as well as Kyiv’s progress on reforms in its bid to join the 27-member bloc.

Kyiv city officials said at least 19 people were injured in different parts of the capital. About 40 cars and a car repair shop were damaged. Firefighters extinguished several fires.

Debris from a Russian missile also damaged several power lines resulting in electricity cut-offs in parts of Kyiv.

DTEK, Ukraine’s private energy company, said electricity had been restored for nearly 30,000 families using reserve capacities, and repairs to power lines were under way.

The attack also damaged two gas pipelines in Mykolayiv, state energy giant Naftogaz said.

Maksym Kozytskyi, governor for the western Lviv region, said an industrial facility in the city of Drogobych was also hit.

Oleh Synehubov, governor of Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, said Russian missiles struck non-residential infrastructure in Kharkiv city.

“We are being shelled, we endure. This is not the worst that could happen. People on the frontlines have it the worst, they have to fend off the invaders. We will definitely survive,” said Vitalii Bachynskyi, 40, an IT worker, in a Kyiv metro station where he, his wife and two children had taken shelter.

“It does not break our spirit in any way. We will wait for victory.”

Reuters