Refer Report
Russia, Ukraine hit by ‘worst bombing of the year’ in central Ukraine
Missile attack on Lviv, neighboring Poland
Zelensky appeals to the West for air defense system support
Smoke rises from a building damaged by Russian missile and drone attacks in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on the 4th (local time). Provided by the National Disaster Management Agency of Ukraine/Reuters-Yonhap News
Russia is stepping up its offensive against Ukraine. A city in central Ukraine, far from the main front line, has suffered the most casualties this year after Russian forces bombed it, while a city in the western rear bordering Poland has also suffered missile attacks, causing many casualties.
According to Reuters and other news agencies on the 4th (local time), the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, not far from the Polish border, was hit by a Russian airstrike, killing at least 3 people and injuring more than 35. One of the dead was a 14-year-old girl, and it has been reported that many of the injured were children.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy said in a video posted on Telegram that more than 50 buildings, from schools to homes and hospitals, had been attacked by Russian drones and missiles, with the city center being hit the most.
Lviv is a rear area far from the eastern and southern fronts of Ukraine, where fierce fighting is currently taking place. It is about 460 km west of the Ukrainian capital Kiev, and only 60 km from the border with Poland, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The Polish military has been on high alert, scouting fighter jets to protect its airspace as neighboring cities come under Russian bombing.
Russia is known to have carried out attacks on other areas, including the capital Kiev, in addition to Lviv, but the extent of the damage is not yet known. Recently, Russia has been strengthening its offensive against Ukraine in response to the Ukrainian military’s attacks on its territory.
The day before, the Russian military attacked a military training facility in Poltava, central Ukraine, with two ballistic missiles, killing at least 51 people and injuring 271. This is the highest number of casualties from a single attack this year. It is assessed that the Ukrainian military has revealed its vulnerability in protecting military facilities due to its lack of air defense systems. The military training facility that was bombed is said to be a place that trains officers in the communications and electronics fields and drone pilots.
After the Poltava airstrike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, “Russia will have to pay a price for this attack,” and appealed to the West, saying, “Ukraine urgently needs air defense systems and long-range missiles to protect us.”
Source: Korean