Russian air strike kills five people in Dnipro, Ukraine says | Russia-Ukraine war News

At least 53 wounded in the attack and four are in a serious condition, governor says.

At least five people have been killed and dozens wounded in a Russian missile and drone strike in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, officials say, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Western countries to supply more air defences and long-range weapons.

Footage from Wednesday’s attack published by Zelenskyy on Telegram showed a large explosion in the sky followed by a fireball shooting off towards the ground. The president confirmed that five people were killed and a 14-year-old was among those injured.

At least 53 people were wounded in the attack and four were in a serious condition, said Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Russia denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure. Thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“This Russian terror can only be stopped by modern air defences and our long-ranged weapons,” Zelenskyy said. “The world can protect lives, and only the decisiveness of leaders is needed.”

Borys Filatov, the city’s mayor, announced a day of mourning on Thursday.

He said on Telegram that the attack damaged kindergartens, schools and hospitals and caused fires across the city. Commercial buildings were also damaged, officials said.

He published pictures of emergency workers clearing shattered glass and extinguishing fires.

The Ukrainian air force said the Russian forces targeted the Dnipropetrovsk region with seven missiles and five Shahed drones. Air defences were able to shoot down five missiles and all the drones, it said.

Russia has intensified aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months as its forces have tried to advance. It has targeted power facilities in particular, causing widespread blackouts.