Russian missiles kill at least 20 in Ukraine

Russian missiles that struck a city in central Ukraine killed at least 20 people and wounding about 90 more on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said. The country's president called the attack "an open act of terrorism” against civilians in locations without military value.

Ukraine’s national police said three missiles hit an office building and damaged nearby residential buildings in Vinnytsia, which is located 268 kilometers (167 miles) southwest of the capital, Kyiv.

A Russian submarine in the Black Sea fired Kalibr cruise missiles at the city, and three children were among the dead, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Russian military has not confirmed the strike.

The missiles ignited a fire that expanded to engulf 50 cars in an adjacent parking lot, officials said. Ukrainian police said people were reported missing. The governor of the Vinnytsia region, Serhiy Borzov, said Ukrainian air defense systems shot down another four missiles over the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested the attack was deliberately aimed at civilians. The strike happened as government officials from about 40 countries met in The Hague to discuss coordinating efforts to investigate and prosecute potential war crimes in Ukraine.

"Every day Russia is destroying the civilian population, killing Ukrainian children, directing missiles at civilian objects. Where there is no military (targets). What is it if not an open act of terrorism?” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

Associated Press