Russian missile attack kills 23 across Ukraine

New Delhi, July 08: At least 23 people have been killed following a massive missile attack by Russia on cities across Ukraine, officials reported as quoted by BBC.

The capital city, Kyiv, experienced a rare daytime strike resulting in nine fatalities. According to the city's mayor, a children's hospital was struck and is being evacuated.

In the central city of Kryvyi Rih, the head of the military administration confirmed at least 10 deaths, while three more people were killed in the eastern town of Pokrovsk and one in Dnipro, reports BBC.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is currently in Poland to sign a security pact, stated that Russia launched around 40 missiles targeting various locations across the country.

"Different cities: Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk. More than 40 missiles of various types. Residential buildings, infrastructure, and a children's hospital were damaged," Mr. Zelensky said.

The aftermath of the attack in Kyiv included visible plumes of smoke and widespread destruction at the Okhmadyt children's hospital, as depicted in videos shared on social media. President Zelensky mentioned in a social media post that people were trapped under the hospital's rubble.

"Right now, everyone is helping to clear the rubble - doctors and ordinary people," the president wrote. Health Minister Viktor Lyashko reported that cancer and intensive care wards were hit. Photos from the scene showed young children, some with IV drips, sitting outside as the hospital was evacuated.

Kyiv's mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, described the bombardment to Reuters as "one of the worst attacks" on the capital since the war began, noting that there had been fatalities, although the exact number was still being determined.

Elsewhere, Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the military administration in Kryvyi Rih, posted on Telegram that at least 10 people were killed and 31 wounded in the attack on the city, with 10 of the injured in serious condition. Kryvyi Rih, President Zelensky's hometown, has faced repeated attacks since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

In Dnipro, regional head Sergiy Lysak reported one fatality and six injuries, noting that a high-rise building and a business were struck. In Pokrovsk, three people were killed in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces have recently taken control of several villages.

Moscow has yet to comment on the attacks but has previously claimed that its military does not target civilian infrastructure.