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Russian forces launched overnight missile and drone strikes on several parts of Ukraine, killing at least 28 people, including five children, Ukrainian authorities said.
The deadliest attack struck an apartment block in the Pryluky district of northern Chernihiv region, where five children were killed while sleeping, according to Ukrainian officials.
The powerful blast shattered windows and destroyed part of the five-storey building, leaving behind charred concrete and twisted metal.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said three of the children killed were just 12 months old, while another was eight. The Interior Ministry said the body of another child was recovered from the rubble later in the evening.
A separate statement from the Ukrainian president’s office said 20 people were killed in the strike on the Pryluky apartment building.
Many others were injured, including seven children, Zelenskyy said. He accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas and infrastructure.
“The continued use of missiles against Ukraine, our people and children is a deliberate act of terror,” Zelenskyy said.
Olena Saiun, a 40-year-old massage therapist, told AFP that she and her family were asleep when the blast shattered their windows.
“Thank God we shielded our child with our bodies,” she said, adding that she and her husband suffered cuts from flying debris.
She said the child suffered severe psychological distress during the attack and the family rushed to the bathroom for safety.
Residents of Pryluky said the Russian strikes began around 6:30am local time on Wednesday. Zelenskyy had warned a day earlier of a possible major Russian attack, particularly targeting energy infrastructure.
As winter approaches, attacks on Kyiv have intensified, with air-raid sirens sounding frequently. Residents have taken bags, sleeping mats and blankets to subway stations to shelter overnight.
Irina Rybalchenko, a bank employee, told AFP from a subway platform that people had fled there with their belongings.
“The whole of Kyiv is now in a state of panic,” she said.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched at least 50 missiles and 130 drones at several regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Poltava.
Calling the strikes among the “most horrific attacks” of the nearly five-year war, Zelenskyy said some missiles and drones had been intercepted but ballistic missiles remained the “biggest challenge”. He renewed calls for additional air defence systems.
Yulia Shamrai, a 31-year-old online marketing worker who lives near the damaged building in Pryluky, said she could not understand what military objective Russia had achieved through the attack.
Source: AFP
