Ukraine’s DNIPRO — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Sunday that the death toll from a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro had risen to 25, as rescue workers scrambled to pull survivors from the rubble. Emergency crews worked through the night at the wrecked multi-story residential building, which had suffered the most casualties from Saturday’s widespread Russian barrage.
The attacks, which also targeted the capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, ended a two-week hiatus in Russia’s airstrikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure and urban centers since October. According to Gen. Valerii Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Russia fired 33 cruise missiles on Saturday, 21 of which were shot down. According to the military’s air force command, the missile that hit the apartment building was a Kh-22 launched from Russia’s Kursk region, and Ukraine does not have a system capable of intercepting that type of weapon.
Workers in Dnipro used a crane to try to rescue people trapped on upper floors of a 1,700-person apartment tower. Some residents used their mobile phones to signal for assistance by flashing lights.
As of Sunday afternoon, Zelenskyy reported that at least 73 people had been injured and 39 people had been rescued. According to the Dnipro city government, 43 people have gone missing.
“Search and rescue operations, as well as the removal of dangerous structural elements, are ongoing. All hours of the day and night. We will continue to fight for every human life “Ukraine’s president stated.
Ivan Garnuk was in his apartment when the building was hit, and he considers himself fortunate to have survived. He described his surprise that the Russians would target a non-strategic residential building. “There are no military facilities on the island. There isn’t anything here “He stated. “There is no air defense, and no military bases exist here. It only struck civilians and innocent people.” Dnipro residents assisted rescue workers in clearing the rubble. Others donated food and clothing to those who had lost their homes.
“This is clearly terrorism, and all of this is simply not human,” Artem Myzychenko, a local, said as he cleared rubble. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for the missile strikes across Ukraine on Sunday, saying it had achieved its goal. “All of the designated targets have been reached. The attack’s objective has been met “According to a ministry statement posted on Telegram. It stated that missiles were fired “on Ukraine’s military command and control system and related energy facilities,” but made no mention of the Dnipro residential building attack.
According to a Telegram post by regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych, Russian forces attacked a residential area in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Sunday. Two people were injured, according to preliminary information. Russia’s renewed air attacks came as fierce fighting raged in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province, where Russia claims control of the small salt-mining town of Soledar but Ukraine claims its troops are still fighting. If Russian forces gain complete control of Soledar, they will be able to move closer to the larger city of Bakhmut. The battle for Bakhmut has raged for months, with both sides suffering significant casualties.
With the war approaching its 11th month, Britain announced that it would send tanks to Ukraine, its first donation of such heavy-duty weaponry. Despite the fact that the pledge of 14 Challenger 2 tanks appears modest, Ukrainian officials believe it will encourage other Western nations to supply more tanks. “Sending Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine marks the beginning of a shift in the United Kingdom’s support,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said late Saturday. “A squadron of 14 tanks will enter the country in the coming weeks, after Prime Minister David Cameron informed President Zelenskyy that the United Kingdom would provide additional support to Ukraine’s land war. Around 30 AS90s are expected to follow, which are large, self-propelled guns operated by five gunners.”
According to officials, Sunak is hoping that other Western allies will follow suit as part of a coordinated international effort to boost support for Ukraine in the run-up to the one-year anniversary of the invasion next month. The defense secretary of the United Kingdom plans to visit Estonia and Germany this week to work with NATO allies, while the foreign secretary will visit the United States and Canada to discuss closer coordination.
Source: npr.org