3 Killed In Russian Missile Attack On Ukrainian City As EU Officials Visit Kyiv

Three people have been killed as Russian missiles damaged an apartment in a Ukrainian city even as top EU officials are in the capital city of Kyiv.

Rescuers remove debris to search for survivors at a destroyed apartment building hit by a rocket during the night in downtown Kramatorsk on February 1, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. ( Image Source :AFP )

New Delhi:  A Russian missile destroyed an apartment building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, killing at least three people, police said. This comes even as top officials are in Ukraine's capital Kyiv for talks, a key meeting as Ukraine hopes to join the bloc.

Local authorities earlier said Russia had fired a rocket but the police later said an Iskander-K tactical missile had struck at 9.45 pm local time (1945 GMT), Reuters reported.

"At least eight apartment buildings were damaged. One of them was completely destroyed," police said in a Facebook post, as quoted by the news agency, adding that "people may remain under the rubble."

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen tweeted pledging support for Ukraine as she arrived in Kyiv. She said, "We are here together to show that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever. And to deepen further our support and cooperation.".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an assessment said that the Russian troops push for gains that they could show on the first anniversary of their invasion on February 24, which has made the situation on the front lines in eastern Ukraine “tougher”, news agency Reuters reported.

“Definite increase has been noted in the offensive operations of the occupiers on the front in the east of our country. The situation has become tougher,” Zelenskyy said.

“The enemy is trying to achieve at least something now to show that Russia has some chances on the anniversary of the invasion,” he added in an evening video address, as quoted by Reuters.

Russia has picked up momentum on the battlefield and announced advances north and south of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in Dontesk. It is determined to do so before Ukraine gets newly pledged Western battle tanks and armoured vehicles.

Bakhmut has come under persistent Russian bombardment for months. The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday that ten towns and villages and Bakhmut have suffered under Russian fire.

Another major target is Avdiivka, the nearby town of Maryinka and some neighbouring settlements were also hit, the Ukrainian military said. A Russian missile destroyed an apartment building and damaged seven on Wednesday in Kramatorsk, about 55 km northwest of Bakhmut.

Earlier, Russia had launched a missile attack on Ukraine during rush hour, resulting in at least one death. The attack occurred the day after Ukraine secured Western assurances for dozens of modern battlefield tanks in an effort to push back against the Russian invasion.

On January 15, a Russian missile strike killed at least 25 people in Dnipro, Ukraine.

Moscow had voiced its displeasure to the announcements from Germany and the United States. It previously responded to apparent Ukrainian successes with air strikes that left millions without light, heat, or water. 

The Ukrainian military reported that it had shot down all 24 drones sent by Russia overnight, including 15 around capital Kyiv, with no damage reported.

The Kremlin stated that the promised delivery of Western tanks to Ukraine was seen as "direct involvement".