Deadly strikes on Ukrainian cities after Zelenskyy warns of ‘massive’ Russian attack

Original article by Guardian staff and agencies

Russian air strikes killed at least 13 people in Ukraine on Thursday, including one in Kyiv, as attacks that extended as far ⁠as the western city of Lviv forced neighbouring Poland to scramble ​fighter jets to secure its airspace.

A missile strike killed at least six people including two girls aged 5 and 12 in Kryvyi Rih, a city in central Ukraine, the head of its military administration said. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warned the country hours in advance of Moscow launching the massive attack.

In Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, Oleksandr Vilkul, the ‌city’s defence council head, said: “In a village on the outskirts of Kryvyi Rih, a direct strike by an Iskander-M ballistic missile, launched from Voronezh, hit a private house where a large family lived, killing girls aged five and 12 and four adults.” A further eight people were wounded.

Six ⁠more people, including two children, were killed in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava.

In Kyiv, “sadly, one death has been confirmed” the military administration for the capital city announced. The Kyiv mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported fires in several districts. Earlier, he posted: “The enemy is attacking the capital with ballistic weapons. The threat of further attack remains present. Stay in shelters!”

In ‌Lviv, close to Poland, rescue workers were scrambling to clear rubble to reach those trapped after Russian missiles damaged two apartment buildings and injured 26, officials said.

Late on Wednesday, Zelenskyy had posted: “The Russians prepared a massive attack several days ago, and there is a high probability that the strike will be carried out tonight … Please, in all regions of Ukraine, pay attention to air raid alerts today and stay safe.”

As the attacks took place, Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine, protectively scrambled fighter ​jets to protect ​its airspace, its armed forces said.

“Fighter aircraft and ​an early warning ‌aircraft have ​begun operations while ​ground-based air defence systems and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness.”

An unidentified object ⁠was detected ⁠in Polish ​airspace overnight and ⁠later the probable crash site ⁠was found near ‌the village of Tarnawa-Kolonia in the Lublin province, ‌the Polish military said.

Zelenskyy also repeated his request to Ukraine’s allies to supply Kyiv with the missiles its air defence system lacks. “It is important that our partners fully ​understand what is happening and that the protection of people’s lives depends directly on their willingness, or lack of willingness, to provide air defence missiles.”

Meanwhile in Russia, a ⁠warehouse of ⁠online ⁠retailer Wildberries in ​the western ⁠city of ⁠Penza ​caught ‌fire from a Ukrainian ‌drone attack, ‌said the regional governor, Oleg Melnichenko. One person was ​injured and around ⁠200 people ​were evacuated from ​the ​site, he ​added.

Wildberries ⁠said ⁠another fire ⁠broke out at its logistics ⁠facility ​in ‌Sarapul ‌in Russia’s ‌Udmurtia region after a drone attack.

With Reuters and Agence France-Presse