“Only for civilians”: Death toll from a strike on an apartment building in Ukraine has risen to 30

KYIV, Ukraine — The death toll from a Russian missile attack on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro in southeastern Ukraine rose to 30 on Sunday, the national emergency service said as rescuers tried to reach survivors under the rubble.

On a cold night, emergency crews worked in a destroyed high-rise apartment building, the site where the largest number of casualties occurred on Saturday as a result of large-scale Russian shelling. According to the Associated Press-Frontline War Crimes Watch project, casualties in Dnipro were the largest number of civilians killed in one place since the September 30 strike in the Zaporizhia region of Ukraine.

Russia also launched strikes on the capital Kyiv and the northeast city of Kharkiv on Saturday, ending a two-week lull in airstrikes it has carried out on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and urban centers on an almost weekly basis since October.

Russia on Sunday acknowledged the missile strikes but did not mention a residential building in Dnipro. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in the war.

According to General Valeriy Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on Saturday Russia fired 33 cruise missiles, of which 21 were shot down. The missile that hit the apartment building was an Kh-22 launched from Russia’s Kursk region, according to the military command of the Air Force, adding that Ukraine does not have a system capable of intercepting this type of weapon.

In Dnipro, workers used a crane to try to rescue people stranded on the upper floors of an apartment building housing about 1,700 people. Some residents signaled help with lights on their mobile phones.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least 73 people had been injured and 39 had been rescued as of Sunday afternoon. The city administration of Dnipro said that 43 people were missing.

“Search and rescue operations and the dismantling of dangerous structural elements continue. around the clock. We continue to fight for every life,” the Ukrainian leader said.

Ivan Garnyuk was in his apartment during the shelling of the building and said that he was lucky that he survived. He described his shock at the Russians striking a residential building of no strategic value.

“There are no military installations here. There is nothing here,” he said. “There is no air defense here, no military bases. He just hurt civilians, innocent people.”

Residents of Dnipro joined rescuers at the scene to help clean up the rubble. Others brought food and warm clothes for those who lost their homes.

“This is clear terrorism, and all this is simply not humane,” said local resident Artem Myzichenko, clearing the rubble.

In claiming responsibility for the missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had achieved its goal.

“All designated targets have been hit. The goal of the attack has been achieved,” the ministry said in a statement posted on Telegram. It states that the rockets were fired “at the military command and control system of Ukraine and its associated energy facilities,” and does not mention the shelling of the Dnepr residential building.

On Sunday, Russian troops attacked a residential area in the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevich said in a Telegram message. According to preliminary information, two people were injured.

The resumption of Russian air attacks came as heavy fighting raged in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where the Russian military claimed to control the small salt town of Soledar, but Ukraine claims its troops are still fighting.

If Russian forces gain full control of Soledar, this will allow them to move closer to the larger city of Bakhmut. The battle for Bakhmut raged for several months, resulting in significant losses on both sides.

As the war neared the 11-month mark, the UK announced it would supply tanks to Ukraine, its first donation of such heavy weaponry. Although the promise to supply 14 Challenger 2 tanks appears modest, Ukrainian officials expect it will encourage other Western countries to supply more tanks.

“The dispatch of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine is the beginning of a shift in direction for UK support,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said in a statement late on Saturday. — A squadron of 14 tanks will travel to the country in the coming weeks after the Prime Minister told President Zelensky that the UK would provide additional support to help Ukraine in the ground war. It is expected that they will be followed by about 30 large AS90 self-propelled guns controlled by five gunners.”

Sunak is hopeful other Western allies will follow suit as part of a coordinated international effort to bolster support for Ukraine ahead of the anniversary of the invasion next month, officials said.

The UK Defense Secretary plans to visit Estonia and Germany this week to work with NATO allies, while the Foreign Secretary is due to visit the US and Canada to discuss closer coordination.

It is reported by Meldrum from Kyiv. Sylvia Hui from London contributed reporting.