At least 28 people, including five children, have been killed in a series of Russian strikes across Ukraine, with a missile attack on an apartment building in the northern city of Pryluky accounting for at least 20 deaths.
The strikes occurred on Wednesday as Russian forces launched attacks on several Ukrainian cities, hitting residential areas and causing extensive destruction.
In Pryluky, in the Chernihiv region, a missile struck a five-storey apartment building, reducing part of the structure to a pile of charred concrete, twisted metal and debris.
Ukrainian authorities said at least 20 people were killed in the attack, while dozens more were wounded.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said five children were among those killed. Three of them were just one year old, while another was eight. Ukraine’s Interior Ministry later said the body of another child had been recovered from the rubble.Russian Strikes Kill 28 Across Ukraine, Five Children Among Dead
Seven other children were also among those injured, according to Zelensky.
The strike occurred at about 6:30 a.m. local time, when many residents were still asleep in their homes.
The blast shattered windows across the area and severely damaged the apartment building as emergency workers rushed to the scene to search for survivors and recover victims trapped beneath the rubble.
One resident, 40-year-old massage therapist Olena Sayun, described how the explosion struck while she and her family were inside their home.
She said windows were blown out and that she and her husband shielded their child with their bodies to protect the child from the impact.
Both she and her husband sustained cuts, while their child was left extremely frightened by the explosion.
Sayun said the family rushed into the bathroom for protection and remained there as parts of their apartment were damaged by the force of the blast.
The attack in Pryluky was part of a wider wave of strikes reported across Ukraine.
Two people were reportedly killed after missiles struck a high-rise residential building in Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine, while two others were killed in Oleksandriya, according to Zelensky.
Kyiv was also hit.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were initially killed after a fire broke out following a strike in the densely populated Darnytskyi district. He later reported two additional deaths in subsequent strikes.
The attacks came a day after Zelensky warned that Russia could launch a large-scale assault, with energy infrastructure among the potential targets.
The continuing strikes have heightened concerns over civilian safety as the war continues, with missile and drone attacks repeatedly affecting populated areas and critical infrastructure.
Zelensky condemned the attacks and accused Russia of deliberately targeting ordinary communities and civilian life.
He said the continued use of missiles against Ukrainian cities and civilians represented what he described as a deliberate choice to spread terror.
The Ukrainian government has repeatedly called for greater international pressure on Russia and additional support to strengthen the country’s air defence capabilities.
Meanwhile, emergency personnel continued rescue and recovery operations at affected sites as authorities assessed the scale of the destruction and searched damaged buildings for additional victims.
The casualty figures could change as rescue operations continue and authorities receive further reports from affected locations.
The latest attacks highlight the continuing human cost of the war in Ukraine, with civilians once again bearing the consequences of strikes in populated areas.