Russia in the early hours of Tuesday hit strikes on the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine, killing 10 persons. The strikes overnight by Russia were said to have hit multiple sites, smashing into a five-storey building in the central city of Kryvyi Rig, leaving smoke billowing from the housing block strewn with debris.
Russia disclosed that the forces have captured Western armoured vehicles from Ukriane’s forces.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s military administration, was cited to have said: “Ten people have died. One is under rubble; 28 are injured and 12 of them are in the city’s hospitals in medium, serious and very serious condition.
“Rescue operations are ongoing.”
President Zelensky was said to have noted, after the strikes, that Russian forces were waging a war against “residential buildings, ordinary cities and people”. The president assured Ukrainians that those responsible would be held to account.
According to Zelensky, “Terrorists will never be forgiven, and they will be held accountable for every missile they launch.”
It was narrated that air raid sirens had earlier sounded across Ukraine, while Kyiv and the northeast city of Kharkiv were under missile and drone attacks.
Ukraine’s air force had disclosed that Russia launched 14 cruise missiles and four Iranian-made drones overnight, with 10 missiles and one drone intercepted.
Another missile was fired by Russian forces before being shot down by the Ukrainian air defences in the morning.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has demanded its allies in the West to deliver a broad range of modern military equipment to assist Ukrainian forces recapture large swathes of territory controlled by Russia.
* AFP, Channels TV