Amid escalating tensions between Kyiv and Moscow, Ukraine reported three missile strikes launched by Russia, killing at least 17 and injuring 61. The missiles targeted a bustling downtown area of Chernihiv, Ukraine, shortly before noon on Wednesday (local time). Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, lamented the lack of adequate air defences, emphasizing that the tragedy could have been averted with sufficient equipment to counter Russian aggression.
The missiles had hit a crowded part of the city which was also near to a university and hospital. “This would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defence equipment and if the world’s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient,” Zelenskyy said, reported The New York Times.
According to the ANI report, the head of the Chernihiv city government, Oleksandr Lomako, said that he saw dead people on the road killed by shrapnel and smashed cars covered in blood. He added that he looked through the dates of birth of the victims and many of them seemed young.
Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, said, “Among those killed as a result of Russian shelling is a 25-year-old police lieutenant.” In the war’s early stages, Chernihiv was encircled by Russian forces, leading to extensive destruction. Yet, with the expulsion of the Russians and enhancements to Ukraine’s air defenses, inhabitants have begun to repopulate the area, as per the report.
Amidst missiles streaking through the skies, intense clashes persist between Russia and Ukraine along the frontlines. Russian forces are advancing towards the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, aiming to seize the hilltop fortress and establish a pathway for sustained assaults on the remaining major cities under Ukrainian control.
Meanwhile, approximately 35 miles south of Chasiv Yar, Ukrainian forces are endeavouring to maintain defensive positions after being displaced from Avdiivka earlier in the year.
Since the beginning of the year, US military aid has been mostly halted, leaving Ukraine’s Western-provided air defence systems with dwindling ammunition to intercept near-Russian missile strikes.
This has intensified the need for Ukraine to target Russian weaponry within Russia and secure territories within Ukraine. In an interview with PBS, Zelenskyy expressed that recent setbacks along the frontline were partly due to delays in US assistance, stating, “I can tell you honestly, without this support, we stand no chance of victory.”
(With ANI Inputs)