In a tragic escalation of the ongoing conflict, Russian forces carried out a series of overnnight attacks across Ukraine, resulting in devastating fatalities.
The morning after the wave of assaults, at least six people have been reported dead, marking a sombre day for the country as its citizens grapple with the aftermath.
The city of Chernihiv bore the brunt of the morning’s violence, as Russian missiles targeted a university and a theatre, claiming the lives of five individuals.
This ruthless strike also left 40 people injured, including 11 children, as confirmed by Ukraine’s interior ministry. The toll on human life intensified earlier when a powerful explosion rocked the vicinity of the Internal Affairs Ministry’s State Research Forensic Centre in the Kyiv area, leading to one confirmed fatality
But there are concerns the death toll could surge further in the coming hours.
Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs, provided confirmation that the victims were employees of the forensics centre. He did, however, emphasise that the fire resulting from the attack has been successfully contained.
The harrowing strikes arrived in the wake of a series of overnight assaults across multiple Ukrainian blasts, leaving approximately 25 others wounded, according to local officials.
Residents of Chernihiv have been issued a stark warning to seek refuge in shelters, as the city came under a ballistic missile attack.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is currently engaged in discussions in Sweden, shared a poignant video showcasing the extensive destruction that has befallen the northern city. The footage paints a stark picture of chaos, with streets strewn with large debris fragments in the harsh light of day.
Zelensky wrote: “This is what a neighbourhood with a terrorist state is, this is what we unite the whole world against. An ordinary Saturday, which Russia turned into a day of pain and loss. Let’s do even more to consolidate the world against Russian terror. Let’s give even more to our state to protect life. Russia must lose this war for life to win.”
Russian military forces had swept through Chernihiv during their invasion of Ukraine in late February, deploying from various directions, including the Belarusian border. These advancing forces, however, encountered staunch resistance from Ukrainian troops, leading to their eventual retreat. Following this repulsion, the northern reaches of Ukraine have experienced a relative respite from the ferocious battles that have ravaged the eastern and southern regions.
As night fell, a renewed escalation unfolded. Russia orchestrated a barrage of drone attacks across the northern, central, and western sectors of Ukraine. Reports indicate that Ukrainian forces under President Zelensky’s command managed to intercept and take down 15 out of the 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones that were launched during the offensive. This successful defence marked a notable achievement for Ukrainian forces in their ongoing struggle to safeguard their nation’s sovereignty.
Serhiy Tyurin, the acting Governor of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, wrote on social media: “Tonight, during the air raid, Khmelnytskyi was again attacked by the enemy.
“In several villages of the Khmelnytskyi district, 30 houses were damaged by the blast wave, and windows and doors were broken in 32 households. Two women were injured by shards of glass, and six more people went to the hospital in a state of shock.”
