Air raid sirens echoed throughout Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv early Friday morning as Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at it and other parts of the country, leaving at least 23 people dead, three of which were children, officials said.
The missile barrage was Russia’s first direct attack on the capital since March 9.
In Kyiv, officials said the attack caused damage to residential buildings inside the city but that there were no reports of casualties.
Missiles struck the eastern city of Dnipro leaving at least two people dead, including a 31-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter. The attack wounded four people and damaged a house and business, according to regional Governor Serhii Lysak.
In Uman, located approximately 134 miles south of Kyiv, Cherkasy Governor Ihor Taburets said another missile strike left at least 20 people dead and 17 injured. Two 10-year-olds and a toddler were among twenty people who died as a result, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
Three children were rescued and nine people were sent to the hospital, Ukrainian police said. Local media reported a multi-story building caught fire and several floors were destroyed.
Emergency responders said that a 75-year-old woman was also among the other victims and died due to internal bleeding from the shock wave of the strike.
Ukraine's air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and shot down two unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the Kyiv City Administration.
UKRAINE HAS RECEIVED OVER 98% OF COMBAT VEHICLES PROMISED BY NATO ALLIES, PARTNER COUNTRIES
The attacks came as NATO released a statement saying its allied countries have provided more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine.
The equipment, including more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and "vast amounts of ammunition" is intended to strengthen Kyiv's capabilities to launch counteroffensives to reclaim lost territories.
The allied countries have also trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Some NATO partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armored vehicles.
"This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory," Stoltenberg said in Brussels.
The overnight attacks also came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a "long and meaningful" phone call on Wednesday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
It was their first known contact since Russia invaded Ukraine more than 400 days ago.
Beijing has mostly remained neutral in the conflict, urging both sides — and the world — to remain objective in its pursuit of peace.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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