A high-rise apartment building in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was hit by a catastrophic missile on Saturday morning, officials reported, as battle between Russian assault and Ukrainian forces raged in the capital. The number of victims from the attack in the Zhuliany district was ‘being detailed,’ according to emergency services, and an evacuation was underway.
According to media sources, images showed the tower block with a hole encompassing at least five levels blown into the side and rubble strewn across the street below. According to the Daily Mail, Russian soldiers have also fired a salvo of cruise missiles targeting Ukrainian military facilities.
Russian missile strike last night on an apartment block in Lobanovsky Avenue in central Kyiv. A large chunk torn out of the building, with multiple floors destroyed and smoke burning this morning. Number of casualties unknown pic.twitter.com/bkJ07QdiOT
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) February 26, 2022
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, tweeted a photo of the destroyed residential building. “Kyiv, our lovely, tranquil city, has weathered another night of Russian ground forces and missile bombardment.” “One of them has hit a Kyiv residential unit,” he wrote. He asked the world community to “completely isolate Russia, expel diplomats, impose an oil embargo, and devastate its economy.” “Stop the Russian war criminals!” he exclaimed.
Kyiv, our splendid, peaceful city, survived another night under attacks by Russian ground forces, missiles. One of them has hit a residential apartment in Kyiv. I demand the world: fully isolate Russia, expel ambassadors, oil embargo, ruin its economy. Stop Russian war criminals! pic.twitter.com/c3ia46Ctjq
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 26, 2022
Meanwhile, Major General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry, claimed the military had targeted a number of installations with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles. Since the beginning of Russia’s attack on Thursday, the military has struck 821 Ukrainian military targets, including 14 air bases and 19 command centres, and destroyed 24 air defence missile systems, 48 radars, seven jets, seven helicopters, nine drones, 87 tanks, and eight military boats.
According to the Daily Mail, Maj Gen Konashenkov said that the Russian military has taken full control of the southern city of Melitopol, roughly 35 kilometres inland from the Azov Sea shore, and that Russia-backed separatists have made substantial gains in the eastern region of Donbas.
