Devastating Russian Missile Attack Claims 18 Lives, Leaves 77 Wounded in Iconic Ukrainian City

 

As President Volodymyr Zelensky urged for increased assistance from Western allies, the US House of Representatives finally announced a vote on a substantial military aid package, totaling about $61 billion, to support Kyiv, a move applauded by President Joe Biden.

 

Following the eruption of the first missile, Olga Samoilenko, a resident of Chernigiv, sought refuge with her children in the corridor of their apartment building. She recounted the chaos, with neighbors joining them, all scrambling to safety. Amidst subsequent explosions, they fled to the parking lot, as recounted by the 33-year-old to AFP.

 

Mayor Oleksandr Lomako reported extensive damage to over a dozen buildings, along with numerous vehicles and vital infrastructures like medical and educational facilities. Tragically, a 25-year-old policewoman on sick leave succumbed to severe shrapnel injuries, announced by the interior minister.

 

At the scene, AFP journalists witnessed rescue efforts retrieving a body from the rubble, while an eight-storey hotel bore the brunt of the strike, with municipal workers employing cranes to clear debris. Nearby establishments, including apartments, a beauty salon, and a beer shop, bore the impact, their windows shattered by the force of the attack.

 

The Chernigiv region, bordering Belarus to the north, had experienced partial occupation during the initial stages of the Russian invasion but had remained relatively unscathed by conflict for around two years following the withdrawal of Russian forces.

 

While Zelensky attributed the attack to Russia, he also called upon the West to bolster Ukraine's aerial defense capabilities. Asserting that adequate air defense equipment could have prevented the tragedy, he urged for international solidarity against Russian aggression.

 

In a subsequent address to the European Council, Zelensky drew parallels between Ukraine's plight and Israel's robust defense against aerial threats, emphasizing the need for comparable protection for Ukrainian skies.

 

Expressing support, President Biden welcomed the forthcoming congressional vote on the significant aid package for Ukraine, pledging immediate enactment to demonstrate solidarity against external threats.

 

Chernigiv, situated approximately 145 kilometers (90 miles) north of Kyiv, suffered extensive damage during the initial phases of the conflict in 2022, when Russian tanks surged into Ukrainian territory from Belarus, besieging the city until April of that year.