7 killed, 144 injured in Russian missile attack in
UkraineA theatre damaged by a Russian missile strike in Chernihiv, Ukraine.
Seven people, including a six-year-old child, were reportedly killed in a Russian missile attack on a theatre in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Saturday morning.
According to the police, 15 of the 144 injured are children. Among them, at least 25 people have to be admitted to the hospital.
Many of those killed were celebrating Orthodox Christian holidays in church.
A main square and a university building were also damaged in the attack.
The United Nations called the attack "heinous". On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised a strong response to this "terrorist attack" with Ukrainian troops.
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| A theatre damaged |
Chernihiv is located approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Ukraine's border with Belarus. In February 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the city was besieged by Russian troops within the first few months.
The missile hit the city's impounding theatre directly. Tiles were thrown from the roofs of nearby buildings. A building 100 metres away also caught fire.
Chernihiv's acting mayor told, the theatre was hosting a gathering of drone makers.
"I understood that the military event that was going on in the theatre building was their target." Oleksandr Lomako says.
"However, it is clear that the Russians who launched those missiles and who ordered a broad daylight missile attack on such a civilian city, realised in advance that the victims would primarily be civilians.
"There is no other way to explain this attack other than as another Russian war crime against civilians," he added.
A military event was taking place in that theatre in the city of Chernihiv.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko later said that everyone inside the theatre had made it to safety in time.
He said that "most of the casualties were in their cars or crossing the road when the rocket struck, as well as returning from a church". Chernihiv is a popular weekend hangout area.
Ana Zahreba, manager of the Crimean Tatar restaurant across the street from the theatre, said her staff was getting ready to start a busy day when the missile hit.
"I ran outside to see what was going on," he said. "There were two 12-year-old girls and there was a lot of bleeding. One had a serious leg injury. Another girl was screaming.
"We were trying to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet and waiting for the ambulance. It took a long time to get here, but some people stopped their cars. Later we took a girl to the hospital."
Anna said workers rushed to help the injured with medical kits and blankets.
"There are always a lot of people walking around, with children and with baby strollers. There are many restaurants and cafes in the area," she said.
"We never expected such a day."
President Zelensky said in a video message late on Saturday that the name of the girl who was killed in the Russian attack was Sofia.
Earlier, he said Russia had turned an "ordinary Saturday into a day of mourning and loss".
The United Nations said it was "deeply concerned" by the attack.
"This kind of attack in the main square of a major city early in the morning, when people were walking, many going to church to celebrate their religious festivals, is appalling," Denis Brown, the current UN chief in Ukraine, said in a statement.
"International human rights law strictly prohibits attacks on civilians or civilian installations, it must stop," he said.
Meanwhile, three days of mourning have been declared in the city of Chernihiv.
Moscow has yet to comment on the attack.
Russia, on the other hand, claimed that a Ukrainian drone had hit a military airbase in the northwestern Novgorod region, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished.
One aircraft was damaged but no casualties were reported.
Ukraine has also not commented on the alleged drone strike.
Meanwhile, Kiev's air force said the Ukrainian military shot down 15 of 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones in an overnight attack on Moscow..
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