Russia missile strikes hit home city of Ukraine's President Zelensky - BBC News (2023)

Introduction

Russia has been accused of "massive" missile attack on the home city of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

At least 11 people have died and 28 others have been injured by the strikes overnight on the city of Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian officials said.

The latest hostilities come after Kyiv's counter-offensive against Russian forces got under way - with Ukraine saying their troops have recaptured seven settlements.

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Content

Now to Ukraine and another night of Russian missile strikes has left 10 people dead in the southern Ukrainian city of creevee re, the hometown of President zielinski.

This comes as the country struggles to cope with the floods caused after the Strategic kokova dam was blown up last week or my colleague yalda Hakim is in the capital Kiev Seattle.

What can you tell us about last night's attacks? Well, anjana.

As you say, the air raid sirens were going off uh last night and in the early hours of this morning as a result of those Russian missile attacks, and we know a number of places uh were struck.

Although the ukrainians are saying that their air defense systems were able to prevent a number of those missiles, but they did wake us up in the early hours of the morning, people were rushed into the underground bunkers for protection and, of course, it's it's sort of a strange feeling, because life sort of moves on as normal in the capital here cave and then every now and then we're reminded of this conflict when this uh air raid sirens go off.

But let's just show you some of the images that have come to us this morning.

You can probably see the five-story building in central Ukraine, which is also the hometown of President zelenski.

It is the city of equival, which is um.

You know to the center of this country and was also struck.

10 people we know uh have died as a result, nearly 30 others injured.

Emergency workers are busily working in the area to try and get people out from under the rubble.

We understand that at least one person is trapped under the rubble, we're also told by the local authorities.

The two drone strikes have hit civilian infrastructure in kharkiv.

Now, of course, the Russians have not commented on these airstrikes, but this all is taking place as these counter-offensive gets underway, and we know the epicenter of that is in the East and the south of the country, but that hasn't prevented Russian missile strikes in other parts of this country and certainly has woken up.

The residents of the capital cave well to discuss this further I'm joined by the former prime minister of Ukraine arsenia.

Thank you, sir.

For joining us here on the program, another night of missile strikes across Ukraine as this counter-offensive continues.

You know as we stay on this roof, it could happen.

Every single minute, Russians already launched around 1 000 missiles at the beginning of this started from the beginning of this year and more than 400 iran-mate uh drones.

So it's a never-ending disaster, and this is the war crime committed by President Putin, but on the other hand, thanks to our Western allies and NATO member states, we are a more or less secure area due to the fact that Ukraine Got a superior air defense systems, but this is this- is a huge death toll.

This is a huge grammar for the Ukrainian people.

Yeah, like I, said those uh airstrikes remind you that this is a nation at War, but when you think about what's happening in the south of the country, for example, at the breach of the dam which has left so many people devastated, we won't understand the full extent of this breach for many weeks to come.

But for now it's a major humanitarian disaster.

Absolutely it's too early to assess the disaster that have happened already.

So, on the one hand, no doubt this is the war crime.

This is an act of Terror.

On the other hand, uh my this.

This could have a dramatic Dreadful implications for the economy, for the human beings, for the agricultural sector and for the entire environment uh, so uh.

The thing is how to bring to Justice Russians and this.

This is this is the Milestone.

This is the key thing for me.

Uh Putin has to pay the price.

Do you think he will, though, absolutely otherwise the this world will attend up up and down because uh these kind of crimes that Putin committed against ukrainians.

They have to be brought to Justice and Putin uh.

You are well aware that Putin is under ICC a arrest warrant, so the time will come when he will be behind the bars.

Of course, the counter-offensive continues as well.

We have heard from the Ukrainian military that they have retaken at least seven Villages.

These are very small villages, though, on a very large and long front line.

Well, the the fact is that we are making incremental games.

The fact is that Ukraine will liberate its territory and I believe that one time this County offensive will switch to operation liberation of entire Ukrainian territory.

This is the hard toil the bloody one, so we need more support from our Western allies, but uh.

The good thing is that I'm, in constant touch with the Ukrainian military, Ukrainian, men and women in the uniform, have a very high morale.

So we want to win.

We will prevail with this kind of mood, but but no doubt this is the war and- and this is a war of attrition and it's not an easy job.

So please do not exaggerate or overestimate this kind of counter-offensive.

Well, it's important to help and to support Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to Prevail in this world, see that from Western leaders we don't care to poor, and this leaders I mean Justin.

Trudeau was here at the weekend.

He said, however long it takes we'll stand with Ukraine, whatever it takes.

Do you believe them, though? Absolutely because, ah this is the Bedrock of the Democracy Ukraine- is fighting for our freedom for democracy and actually for the entire Humanity, because everything that Russia committed all these aggressions and war crimes that uh Russia did to Ukraine this.

This constitutes the heinous and egregious war crimes.

So we are defending freedoms and values of the Free World.

If the political situation changes in the U.S, your your biggest Ally and right now, the biggest supporter when it came, comes to Military and and other Aid.

As of now, we rely heavily rely on bipartisan support, but I do believe that it doesn't matter whether Democrats or Republicans, but the U.S is the flagship of democracy, but, on the other hand, I believe that the the best way out in this particular case is to provide a long-stem strategy how to support Ukraine, because well things can change in politics.

That's the way democracy works, but we can't change our values.

What about the political situation here in Ukraine? You may or may not have an election next year well under under the martial law.

We can have an elections, so the preliminary condition is to liberate Ukrainian territory and actually uh I believe that Ukraine is a flourish in democracy.

But to defend this democracy, we need to win this war.

Do you think that this will become a war of attrition where it just continues? No doubt this is the war of attrition and Putin is testing the world Putin Putin is testing Ukraine, whether we have enough guts both to support Ukraine and to fight like hell.

Yes, we do.

Thank you very much for joining us here on the program.

Thank you that was the former prime minister of Ukraine speaking to me there about the long and bloody conflicts that lies ahead as we've been reporting.

They have this small window up until about October or November uh, when the weather starts to change and Things become more difficult, but you also heard the Prime Minister say that this is going to turn into a war of attrition that could go on for a very long time.

We will, of course, continue our coverage here from the Ukrainian Capital throughout the day here on BBC News.