Kyiv, Aug 20 (V7N)- At least 12 people have been killed and more than 30 others injured in a Russian ballistic missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Reuters reported.
The attack early Thursday (August 20) damaged several buildings and disrupted electricity supplies in parts of the city.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a nine-story residential building in the Solomianskyi district caught fire, with the upper floors destroyed. Seven people were killed in the building, according to the mayor, who called for Friday to be observed as a day of mourning.
Two other districts of Kyiv were also affected. Residential buildings, warehouses, a school and a children's hospital were among the structures damaged.
Electricity provider DTEK said approximately 90,000 households in Kyiv lost power following the attack. Electricity has since been restored to more than half of the affected homes.
Reuters witnesses reported hearing more than a dozen explosions across the capital. Ukrainian emergency services released footage showing rescue workers extinguishing fires, searching damaged buildings and helping people to safety.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces carried out air and drone strikes in Kyiv and surrounding areas. It claimed the strikes targeted a drone-parts manufacturing facility, a military warehouse and a logistics center.
Ukraine has accused Russia of intensifying its air campaign in recent months, saying a shortage of missile interceptors has made it more difficult to defend against ballistic attacks.
At the same time, Ukraine has increased strikes inside Russia, targeting oil facilities and logistics infrastructure in an effort to weaken Moscow’s ability to continue the war.
The latest attack also had repercussions beyond Ukraine. Romania’s Defense Ministry said a Russian drone crashed on Romanian territory during the attack, while Moldova’s military reported that another drone had crossed Moldovan airspace.
Diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire have so far failed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had presented a plan to end the war to US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He has also continued to call for additional interceptor missiles to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.
However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had not received any specific proposals for a new meeting with US negotiators. She added that Russia was prepared to organize such a meeting at short notice.
Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January. They have not yet visited Kyiv.
END/SMA/AJ
