Russian missile attack on Ukraine kills at least 20, hits children’s hospital in Kyiv

At least seven people were killed in the city during the attack, authorities say.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia targeted five cities with more than 40 missiles of different types, hitting residential buildings and public infrastructure.

In Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky’s hometown, 31 people were injured in addition to the 10 deaths in what the head of city administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, said was a massive missile attack.

There was no immediate word on casualties at Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine’s biggest children’s medical facility.

The Kyiv city administration reported falling debris, presumably from intercepted missiles, in a handful of Kyiv areas, starting fires. Thick plumes of smoke rose from several Kyiv neighbourhoods.

The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andrii Yermal, said the attack occurred at a time when many people were in the city’s streets.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said official assessments of the attack’s consequences were still being carried out.

Explosions were also reported by local officials in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region.

The attack came on the eve of a three-day Nato summit in Washington, which will look at how to reassure Ukraine of the alliance’s unwavering support and offer Ukrainians hope that their country can come through Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.