The death toll from Russian strikes in Ukraine has risen to 28, Ukrainian authorities say. Five of the dead are children, with the town of Pryluky in Chernihiv region hardest hit, where a missile hit a residential building.
The strike in Pryluky killed 20 people. The powerful blast destroyed half of the five-story building and shattered windows in neighboring buildings. Five children were among the dead. President Volodymyr Zelensky said three of them were 12 months old and another was eight years old. According to Ukrainian authorities, seven children were among the injured.
“The continued use of missiles against Ukraine, against our people, our children, is a completely deliberate method of terror“, said Volodymyr Zelensky.The Ukrainian president said that residential areas in other cities were also hit in the attacks. Two people died when a multi-storey building was hit in Kremenchuk, and two more in Oleksandria. In Kiev, two people died in a fire caused by a strike in the Darnytsia district, with two more fatalities later reported. Ukrainian authorities said the total number of injured in the attack was around 100.
The Russian military said it had struck military-industrial facilities in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities. Moscow did not confirm reports of civilian casualties and damage reported by Ukrainian authorities.
Moscow reports ship hit near Odessa
Against this backdrop, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian forces had hit a dry cargo ship sailing to the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa with cargo intended for the Ukrainian army.
“During the strikes while sailing on the high seas, a dry cargo ship carrying cargo to the port of Odessa intended for the provision of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was hit,“ the ministry said in a statement.
Russia also reported drone strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure. The name of the ship, the exact location of the strike, the type and quantity of the cargo, as well as information about the crew or possible casualties were not disclosed.
The two reports come after a new series of mutual strikes between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian side announced that Russian oil facilities and a military training ground were hit in retaliation, but Russian authorities have not provided details on these claims.
Sources: bta.bg