In one of Russia's heaviest bombardment on Kyiv in four months, dozens of missiles hit apartment buildings and a children's hospital in the capital, killing at least 37🀅 people, officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the daytime barrage targeted five Ukrainian cities with over 40 missiles of different types. Though Ukraine's air force intercepted 30 missiles, more t🐻han 150 people were injured in the bombardment.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy on Monday said that he expected the upcoming NATO summit to provide specific steps to strengthen his country's air defense🔴s against Russia.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict | Latest Updates
Death Toll At 37 In Russia's Missile Attack On Ukraine
A barrage of missiles from Russia, in its heaviest bombardment in almost four months, struck Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv, hitting many apartment buildings and a children's hospital. Off💖icials said that at least 37 persons lost their lives in the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 30🍃 of the 40 missiles were intercepted by the Russian m𒉰issiles and over 150 people were wounded.
Seven people in the capital were killed, including two staff members at the hospital, where three children were hurt. Meanwhile strikes🦩 in central Ukraine, Zelenskyy's birthplace -- Kryvyi Ri🌳h -- killed 10.
"It is very important that the world should not be silen🐼t about it now and that everyone should see what Russia is🎃 and what it is doing,” Zelenskyy said on social media.
However, Russia de💙nied attacking thꦗe hospital, saying that the strikes hit military targets.
Rescuers at the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv were searching for victims under the rubble of a partially-collapsed two-store💦y wing of the facility.
Officials said that the hospital's main 10-storey building had its doors and windows blown out, with it walls blackened. The intensive care unit, operating theatres and oncology departments were all damaged, theyಞ added.
Health Minister Viktor Liashko noted that at the time 🍷of the strike, three heart operations🦩 were underway and debris from the explosion contaminated the patients' open chests.
Ukraine's Hopes With NATO Summit
Ukraini🦄an President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday said that he expected the upcoming NATO Summit to provide specific steps towards the strengthening of his nation's air defenses against Russia.
Zelenskyy's statement came hours after the Russian missil🦹e attack, which killed at least 31 people.
Meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ꧟in Warsaw, Zelenskyy discussed further support to his country from NATO, as well as signing a bilateral cooperation and defense document.
USA Today reported that NATO allies are✱ in final negotiations over language that Ukraine's eventual aꦺdmission into the alliance is "irreversible".
At last year's summit in Lithuania, the US and other member nations discussed th🌼at Ukraine would become a part of NATO when "Allies agree and conditions are met".
Though the final draft could change, sources said that the presence of the "irreversible" language would be a significant signal to Kyiv and Moscow as the war in Ukraine continued to rage on, CNN reported.
The White House reportedly supports the use of the word in the final communique as long as it reaffirms that Ukraine's work on democratic reforms c🦩ontinues.
A senior US administration official on Friday had said that the alliance will make "significant announcements about how we're increasing NATO's military, political and♕ financial support for Ukraine" as part of Kyiv's "bridge to NATO", 🌊the report added.
China Calls On World Powers To Resume Direct Russia-Ukraine Dialogue
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on world powers to help Russia and Ukraine resume direct dialogue, state broadcaster CCTV rep♔✅orted.
Xi's call came during a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The latter made a surprise visit to China after similar trip🍬s to Russia and Ukraine last week.
Since Hungಞary assumed the rotating European Union presidency this month, Orban has embarked on a pea🏅ce mission, which however, lacks the endorsement of other European leaders.
“China is a key power in creating the conditions for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war,🎶” Orban said on X, adding that, "This is why I came to meet with President Xi in Beijing, just two months after his official visit to Budapest.”
(With AP inputs)
