A Russian missile attack targeting the Ukrainian capital damaged a children’s hospital, with Kyiv’s mayor reporting at least 51 people injured in the “enemy attack”.
Ukraine’s air defence systems downed all 10 ballistic missiles targeting the capital, but falling debris caused injuries and destruction in four of Kyiv’s districts along the Dnipro River, which cuts through the capital, officials said.
“As a result of the enemy’s night missile attack [on] the capital’s Dniprovsky district, an apartment building was damaged,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko posted on social media.
Fifteen residents were evacuated and Klitschko said a children’s hospital was also damaged in the attack.
A series of loud explosions could be heard in Kyiv at 3am as the city’s air defenses were activated.
It is the second strike on Kyiv in a week and came after a long period of calm in the Ukrainian capital that was broken by an attack on Sunday.
The Kyiv city military administration also reported that “as a result of the downing of enemy air targets, numerous falling debris was recorded in Dniprovsky and Desnyansky districts”.
It said some residents were evacuated from a building in Dniprovsky district, where a fire was recorded.
Wednesday’s attack came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Washington, where he made an impassioned plea to Congress to approve additional aid to fight Russia’s invasion.
US president Joe Biden warned Republicans that they would give Russia a
“Christmas gift” if they failed to provide additional military aid to Zelenskiy
As winter sets in and hampers troop movements, allowing little change along the frontline, air bombardment plays a growing role in the war.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report
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