Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 5 in second day of major strikes

Published August 27, 2024
Rescuers stand at a site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, August 27. — Reuters
Rescuers stand at a site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, August 27. — Reuters

Russia launched missile and drone attacks targeting scores of Ukrainian regions and killing at least five people, officials said on Tuesday, a day after Moscow’s biggest air attack of the war on its neighbour.

Two people were killed when a hotel was “wiped out” by a missile in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said. Three died in drone attacks on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Kyiv would retaliate against Russia for its attacks. He asked allies to consider joint air defence operations and provide long-range capabilities after Russia pummelled Ukrainian energy infrastructure with more than 200 missiles and drones on Monday.

During Tuesday’s attack, Ukraine downed five out of 10 incoming missiles and 60 out of 81 drones, the air force said.

The Ukrainian air force lost track of 10 more drones that have likely come down somewhere on its territory, it said. It said that one more crossed into Belarusian territory; 10 more were still flying around in Ukraine’s airspace on Tuesday morning.

The Russian defence ministry said its forces had carried out a high-precision weapon strike on Ukraine overnight, the Interfax news agency reported. Moscow denies targeting civilians since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, although thousands have been killed.

Several Russian military bloggers said Moscow’s attacks were an “act of retaliation” for Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region — the first such action since World War Two.

In the capital Kyiv, the military administration said air defences shot down all incoming targets aimed at the city. There were no casualties and the emergency services put out two small fires caused by debris, local authorities said.

Two civilians may be still under the rubble of the hotel in Kryvyi Rih and five were injured in the attack, Serhiy Lisak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region where Kryvyi Rih is located, said on Telegram.

Three people were injured in the Zaporizhzhia region and four were hurt in a missile strike on the northeastern region of Kharkiv overnight, local authorities said.

Opinion

Editorial

Parliament’s place
Updated 17 Sep, 2024

Parliament’s place

Efforts to restore parliament’s sanctity must rise above all political differences and legislative activities must be open to scrutiny and debate.
Afghan policy flux
17 Sep, 2024

Afghan policy flux

AS the nation confronts a major militancy problem in the midst of poor ties with Kabul, there is a dire need to...
HIV/AIDS outbreak
17 Sep, 2024

HIV/AIDS outbreak

MULTIPLE factors — the government’s inability to put its people first, a rickety health infrastructure, and...
Political drama
Updated 16 Sep, 2024

Political drama

Govt must revisit its plans to bring constitutional amendments and ensure any proposed changes to judiciary are subjected to thorough debate.
Complete impunity
16 Sep, 2024

Complete impunity

ZERO per cent. That is the conviction rate in crimes against women and children in Sindh, according to data shared...
Melting glaciers
16 Sep, 2024

Melting glaciers

ACCELERATED glacial melt in the Indus river basin, as highlighted recently by the National Disaster Management...