Authorities in Kyiv have announced that seven people, including a teenage girl, have been injured after Ukraine’s air defense systems shot down two Russian ballistic missiles over the capital, causing their debris to fall to the ground.
Journalists from Agence France-Presse witnessed rescue workers removing concrete and metal columns resulting from the damage to a building during the third aerial bombardment of the capital of Ukraine in five days.
Moscow has escalated its airstrikes on Kyiv, targeting key infrastructure following intense Ukrainian shelling of border areas with Russia.
Reporters from AFP heard explosions and air raid sirens in Kyiv almost simultaneously, around 10:30 am local time (8:30 GMT), while officials urged residents to seek shelter.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the attack reiterated Ukraine’s need to acquire better air defense systems from its allies.
He wrote on social media, “This means safety for our cities and saving human lives. All of us in the world who respect and protect life need to stop this terrorism.”
Meanwhile, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that seven people, including a teenage girl and two pregnant women, were injured.
He stated that “two of the injured were transported to the hospital, while the others were treated on-site,” adding that “rescue teams continue to clear the rubble.”
In a related development, Chief of the Military Administration Sergei Bobko indicated that Russia launched its attack from the Crimean Peninsula with two ballistic missiles.
