Attacks on Kiev and Zelenskyi's hometown - at least 20 dead
For the Russians, it is unusual: On a bright day, they conduct massive attacks on Ukrainian cities and use, among other things, the infamous Grad-Rocket systems. At least 15 people have died, dozens have been injured. In Kiev, a children's clinic was hit.
According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko's statements, at least 20 people have been killed and about 50 people have been injured in Ukraine due to heavy Russian rocket attacks. Affected were reportedly Kryvyj Rih in southern Ukraine and the capital Kiev. In Kiev, a large children's hospital was also hit, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media platform X.
The number of victims there is still not clear. Zelenskyy published a short video that showed destroyed hospital rooms and bloodstains on the floor. Zelenskyy spoke of people being buried. "Everyone helps to remove the debris - doctors and other people," he wrote.
In the three-million city of Kiev, according to initial reports from the city administration, at least seven people have been killed and at least nine injured. According to the military administration of Kryvyj Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there were at least 10 dead and over 30 injured. Damage was also reported from the large city of Dnipro. Other targets were reportedly the frontline towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.
The Russian military reportedly used more than 40 rockets in the attack, according to Zelenskyy's statements. It was unusual that the heavy attack took place during the day at the beginning of the work week. Already in the night, there had been air raids with drones, cruise missiles, and rockets.
Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion for over two years with Western help and continues to call for the provision of modern air defense systems. According to the latest reports, Ukraine has received four of the particularly capable Patriot systems, but needs, in its own assessment, much more.
- Despite Russia's aggressive actions, international politics continue to focus on the provision of weapons to Ukraine, specifically advanced air defense systems like the Patriot, to aid in its defense against attacks like the one on Kiev, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.
- Amidst the ongoing conflicts and war crimes committed by Russia, public outcry has grown, with many calling for stronger international action against the attack on cities like Kiev, where a children's clinic and a large children's hospital were hit in a devastating attack, causing numerous casualties.
- In the face of these escalating conflicts and attacks, such as the one that targeted Ukraine's capital Kiev, prominent figures like President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have called for an end to the war and urged the international community to take decisive action to prevent further violence and protect civilian lives.
