Abhay Singh
A recent round of Russian attacks in Lviv, in western Ukraine, has claimed the lives of seven individuals, including three children. This comes after at least fifty people were killed at a military institute in Poltava.
Russia attacked Lviv with drones and hypersonic missiles, killing a baby, two girls, and a midwife among others. The attack also targeted Kyiv, with explosions heard over the capital as air defenses targeted Russian missiles.
“Thank God everyone is alive now,”
Meanwhile, five people were injured when a hotel and neighboring blocks were damaged in the city of Kryvyy Rih, according to authorities. “Thank God, everyone is alive now,” remarked Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul. The Ukrainian military stated the entire country has been placed on air alert.
Lviv experienced dozens of injuries and over 50 buildings damaged, including homes, schools, and clinics, following a Tuesday attack. Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble of a military institute in Poltava for survivors.
Mykyta Petrov, a 26-year-old cadet who only started at the Poltava Military Communications Institute two weeks ago, said two missiles hit immediately after 09:00 (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday, with the second detonating only three seconds after the first.
He said “I ran outside, there was smoke and dust everywhere…lots of people were outside having a cigarette, and many were killed.”
The cadet experienced psychological distress due to the overwhelming amount of blood and dead bodies he witnessed, despite an earlier air raid siren not allowing sufficient time for people to reach bomb shelters.
Zelenskyy promises payback
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko said “You just imagine you’re on the sixth floor of some building and you need to run away downstairs. Is it realistic that you can do this in two minutes?”
President Zelensky pledged to pay for the attack and advocated for increased air defenses to safeguard Ukraine against long-range missile strikes. Ukraine’s land forces confirmed the fatalities of military members, and an investigation is ongoing to assess whether people in the affected institution received enough protection.
The Russian attack on Lviv, Ukraine, was described as a “cunning and cynical strike” by Poltava regional governor Philip Pronin, who reported 15 persons trapped under rubble. The attack occurred during an air raid alarm, with witnesses saying that Lviv was targeted at around 05:40 and then bombed by Kinzhal missiles and drones.
Russian strikes have targeted Lviv’s energy infrastructure, causing outages, according to officials. Some buildings were struck near the railway station, while residential buildings were damaged. Lviv has been spared the worst of the fighting over the past two and a half years of war.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Irish Premier on Wednesday as Ireland prepares to announce €43 million (£36 million) in aid to Ukraine, which would give critical humanitarian assistance, help rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, and contribute to Ukraine’s long-term aims.
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