In . – 04/18/2022 15:44 (act 04/18/2022 19:14)
Pictured: Lviv, western Ukraine, on February 15. ©REUTERS/Pavlo Palamarchuk (icon image)
According to Ukrainian sources, Lviv was hit by Russian rocket attacks on Monday morning.
There were “five violent rocket attacks at once on the civilian infrastructure of the ancient European city of Lviv,” Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on Twitter. At least six people died and others were injured. There were also reports of Russian rocket attacks on Kiev and Dnipropetrovsk.
Mayor: Eleven wounded in attacks in Lviv
Eleven people were injured in the attacks in Lviv, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyj said on Facebook. He did not specify where the rockets struck, but said at least one civilian object was hit.
Lviv residents reported clouds of smoke
A resident of southwestern Lviv told the AFP news agency that he saw thick clouds of gray smoke rising from behind residential buildings. “The Russians continue to savagely attack Ukrainian cities from the air,” Podoliak wrote. According to the head of the Ukrainian railway company, Alexander Kamyshin, the attack also damaged railway infrastructure.
There were different statements about the number of missiles. Sadowyj spoke of a total of five hits, regional governor Maxym Kosyzkyj of four rockets. Three of them hit military objects, one was dropped on a civilian object, a tire service, he said. In addition, a hotel and about 40 cars were reportedly damaged.
Reporter: Explosions in Kiev
A Reuters reporter reported several detonations in Kiev. According to local authorities, several explosions were also heard in Dnipropetrovsk, in the eastern part of the country. Broadcaster Suspilne reported two wounded in attacks in the Dnepropetrovsk region.
Lviv, which is close to the Polish border, has become a refuge for refugees. Western embassies were also moved from Kiev to Lviv at the start of the war. Lviv’s historic old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lviv as a target of airstrikes
Lviv has been targeted by airstrikes in the past. There are several military installations in the vicinity of the city. In addition, Russian forces also bombed a fuel depot. Lviv is also considered an important transshipment point for arms deliveries from the West. Russia had named these arms shipments as a legitimate target for its own air strikes and had recently threatened to step up its fight against these shipments.
For the second day in a row, Ukrainian and Russian troops were unable to agree on evacuation corridors for civilians in contested areas. “For security reasons, the decision was taken today not to open any humanitarian corridors,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Monday. Long negotiations had been carried out the previous day without any result. She accused the Russian side of bombing escape routes. More recently, nearly 1,500 people arrived in safe areas via these routes on Saturday.
Ministry: Depots in Ukraine destroyed with Iskander missiles
According to the Defense Ministry, Russian forces used Iskander missiles to destroy four depots of weapons and military equipment in Ukraine. This is reported by the Tass news agency. In addition, three Ukrainian military aircraft and eleven drones were shot down. The Russian military has hit a total of 315 targets since the night.