General
Russian missile attack on Lviv kills at least three
The attack on the western Ukrainian city comes a day after the deadliest Russian attack this year, which killed more than 50 people in Poltava.
Russia launched missiles and drones on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, not far from NATO-member Poland, early Wednesday morning. At least three people were killed and 35 were injured, according to Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of the city.
Blasts were also heard on the outskirts of the capital city Kyiv, which is still recovering from a separate Russian attack on Monday.
The region’s military administrator, Maksym Kozytskyi wrote on Telegram that a 14-year-old girl was among those who died as a result of the attack in Lviv. More than 50 houses, two medical institutions and two schools were damaged, Sadovyi said in a video address.
In neighbouring Poland, the Operational Command stated that after a “night of heightened readiness” to ensure the safety of Polish airspace, the operations of Polish and allied aviation in Polish airspace have been terminated “due to the reduced level of threat of missile strikes by Russian aviation on the territory of Ukraine.”
Russia has launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukraine in the past 10 days, most recently in Poltava, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia. This comes amid Ukraine’s recent incursion into Kursk on Russian territory.
More than 50 people killed in Poltava on Tuesday
Wednesday’s attack comes just a day after two Russian ballistic missiles hit a military academy and nearby hospital in Poltava, killing more than 50 people — the deadliest single attack this year.
The news of the strike was first shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, citing preliminary reports.
The missiles tore into the heart of the Poltava Military Institute of Communication’s main building, causing several stories to collapse. It didn’t take long for the smell of smoke and word of the deadly strike to spread through the central-eastern town.
“People found themselves under the rubble. Many were saved,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted on his Telegram channel. He said he ordered an investigation into the strike and reiterated Kyiv’s demands for help from its allies.
Filip Pronin, governor of the region that bears Poltava’s name, announced on Telegram that 219 people were wounded. Up to 18 people may be buried under the rubble, he added.
Ten apartment buildings were damaged, and more than 150 people donated blood, according to Pronin.
He called it “a great tragedy” for the region and all of Ukraine, and announced three days of mourning starting Wednesday.
