The aftermath of a Russian airstrike in the city of Dnipro early Friday that killed a mother and her three-year-old child when their home was hit. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
April 28 (UPI) — A barrage of Russian air-to-surface missiles struck cities in central and southern Ukraine early Friday, killing 12 people, authorities said.
In Uman, 10 people, including a child, were killed when a rocket hit an apartment building before dawn, while a woman and her three-year-old child were killed in Dnipro when their house was hit. the first major air strikes since early March.
President, urging the international community to put more pressure on Moscow, Vladimir Zelensky said that rocket and drone attacks at night damaged a total of 10 residential buildings in Uman, one of which was completely flattened.
“Evil can be stopped with guns – that’s what our defenders do. And it can be stopped with sanctions – global sanctions must be strengthened,” Zelenski added.
The cities of Kremenchuk, Poltava and Ukrainka and the capital Kyiv were also affected, but no casualties were reported there.
“Uman, Cherkassy region, Dnipro city and Ukrainka in Kyiv region. Horrific results of Russia’s new large-scale missile attack. The murderers must be punished,” said the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. said a Twitter post.
Ukraine’s air defense systems shot down 21 of 23 missiles launched from a Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber and two drones, the ministry added.
The attacks prompted Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to renew calls for Ukraine to be equipped with American F-16 fighter jets to defend itself.
“The path to peace is to arm Ukraine with F-16s and protect children from Russian terror,” Kuleba said in a Twitter post.
There have been many reports from the south of the country that preparations are being made for the long-awaited spring offensive in Ukraine using new equipment supplied by Western allies.
Ukrainian troops are said to be massing on the east side of the Dnieper River in the south, possibly preparing for a counter-offensive against occupied Crimea.
Meanwhile, British intelligence said Russia had canceled its so-called War Olympics for fear of offending the belligerent country after senior Russian figures criticized the decision to go ahead with last year’s games.
“Russian nationalist commentators, including former intelligence officer Igor Girkin, have sharply criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for pushing ahead with the 2022 deadline. iteration,” the British Ministry of Defense reported.
“There is also a real possibility that with the losses in Ukraine, the Russian MoD is worried about the lack of tanks, tank crews and other qualified personnel, which will jeopardize the Russian team’s usual dominance of the medal table,” the MoD added.
Moscow has already canceled the annual May 9 Victory Day commemorations marking the end of World War II because of concerns that they could have sparked demonstrations over Ukraine, the ministry said.
