Ukrainian officials announced on Wednesday that the second missile attack launched by Russia on Kyiv this week has injured at least 51 people and caused damage to homes and a children’s hospital.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to Washington for further assistance for his country, according to Reuters.
Sergey Bobko, the head of the military administration in Kyiv, stated on Telegram that Ukrainian air defense systems had shot down all the rockets targeting the capital at around 3 a.m. GMT. The full extent of the attack was not immediately clear.
Officials explained that falling debris caused injuries and destruction in three areas of Kyiv, on the eastern side of the Dnipro River that runs through the capital.
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko reported via Telegram that windows and entrances had been shattered due to debris at a children’s hospital in the Dniprovsky district of Kyiv, but initial assessments did not indicate injuries.
Sergey Bobko also noted that the debris had hit several residential buildings in the Dniprovsky area, resulting in injuries to at least 51 people, including 6 children. Water supplies in the area were also affected.
The specific weapons used by Russia in the attack were not immediately known. This comes after a barrage of ballistic missiles targeted Kyiv in the early hours of Monday, injuring 4 people.
US President Joe Biden warned Republicans on Tuesday that they would be giving Russia a “Christmas gift” if they did not increase military assistance to Zelensky. Zelensky concluded his meeting with a senior U.S. legislator without a commitment to provide more support.
There has been no immediate comment from Russia regarding today’s attack, which also caused damage to buildings in the Desniansky and Darnytsky districts of Kyiv.
Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians in the 22-month war that Russia launched against its neighbor in February 2022.
The air force stated that it also shot down all ten attack drones launched by Russia over the Odessa region in southern Ukraine.
