A volley of Russian missiles wounded dozens of people and damaged a children’s hospital on Wednesday in the worst attack on Kyiv in months, officials said, as Ukraine pleads for Western military aid.
AFP journalists in the capital heard several explosions before dawn and air raid sirens sounded soon after that.
Ukraine’s air force said it had downed all 10 missiles targeting the city and the health ministry said 53 people were wounded, including two children.
Most injuries were caused by “glass shards, household items and the shock wave” as missile debris fell mostly in eastern parts of the city, the ministry said.
Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said a kindergarten building was also damaged.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the work of the military and pledged to bolster the country’s air defences.
“It is important for people, it is important for cities and it is important for Ukraine,” he said on social media.
“Russia has once again confirmed its title as a shameful country that releases rockets at night, hitting residential areas, kindergartens and energy facilities in winter,” he said.
Zelensky visits donors
The strikes came as Zelensky arrived in Norway to meet with leaders of the five Nordic nations, who are key donors.
Ukraine “can’t win without help,” Zelensky told reporters following talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
“But you can’t lose, because (all) you have (is) your country,” he continued.
With the counter-offensive launched by Ukraine in June failing to yield the anticipated results, Zelensky is trying to rebuild support among Ukraine’s allies amid growing dissent and fatigue.
At the same time, Russian forces have been on the offensive along different parts of the front in eastern and southern Ukraine in recent days.
The Kyiv strikes came a day after a massive hacking attack on the country’s top telecoms operator, which Ukrainian officials said may have been carried out by Russian security services.
Zelensky earlier this week left Washington without managing to convince a divided Congress to approve a new $60 billion aid package, saying only that he had received “positive” signals.
Speaking alongside Zelensky at the White House on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said that the United States would “continue to supply Ukraine with critical weapons and equipment as long as we can.”
“I will not walk away from Ukraine,” Biden said, warning that a Ukrainian defeat would mean “would-be aggressors everywhere will be emboldened”.
The Ukrainian leader dismissed suggestions he could concede territory taken by Russia since its February 2022 invasion to move any ceasefire closer.
The conflict is expected to be a key topic for a European Union summit this week where Ukraine is hoping for positive news on its bid for membership.
Speaking in the European Parliament on Wednesday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen urged the bloc’s 27 leaders to back massive financial aid for Ukraine and Kyiv’s ambitions for membership talks.
“We must give Ukraine what it needs to be strong today,” the European Commission president told MEPs.
EU leaders face a major challenge overcoming opposition from Hungary — Russia’s closest ally in the bloc — to fresh support for Kyiv.
‘Missile terror’
Wednesday’s strike was the second in a week, after another strike during the night from Sunday to Monday in which eight missiles headed for the capital were shot down.
The strikes have come following a long period of relative calm for the capital.
Wednesday’s strike on Kyiv also damaged an apartment building which had to be evacuated and affected the water supply in one city district, officials said.
The Kyiv City Military Administration said missile debris fell in three left-bank districts of the city.
“Same as on December 11, the enemy used ballistic weapons,” the military administration said.
“The enemy is intensifying the missile terror of Kyiv,” it added.
There were also strikes on Wednesday in the southern port of Odesa, where officials said nine Iranian-made Shahed drones had been downed.
Two employees of a municipal car repair facility were injured by one of the downed drones and “a port infrastructure building was partially destroyed” by another, regional chief Oleg Kiper said.
