Russia fired cruise missiles at Lviv, a city in Ukraine on Thursday, July 6, 2023.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired 10 Kalibr cruise missiles from Black Sea toward the Lviv region and the city of Lviv itself, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) away. The air force added that it intercepted seven of the ten missiles fired.
Lviv is near the western border with Poland and is more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the front lines of the war in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Kyiv’s counteroffensive to dislodge Russian forces is in its early stages.
The missile attack destroyed the roof and the top two floors of an apartment building, injuring 34 people. Emergency crews with search dogs went through the rubble. They were working to reach those still trapped under rubble.
It was reported that at least four people were killed in the attack which destroyed the third and fourth floors of an apartment building.
Maksym Kozytskyi, head of Regional Military Administration, noted on Telegram that the youngest victim was 21 years old and the oldest was 95.
“ The youngest girl, who was killed by a rocket in her apartment tonight in Lviv, was only 21. Russia is killing our youth. Our future.
“The oldest person to die was 95. The woman survived World War Two, but unfortunately, she did not survive racism.”
Maksym Kozytskyi
Debris and wrecked parked cars lined the street outside the building, which overlooks a small neighborhood park with swings and climbing frames amid trees.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said 64 people had to leave their homes.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said around 60 apartments and 50 cars in the area of strike were damaged. According to Sadovyi, who addressed residents via the telegram app, the attack was the largest on Lviv’s civilian infrastructure since the beginning of last year’s invasion.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink also described the attack as “vicious.” “Russia’s repeated attacks on civilians are absolutely horrifying,” she tweeted.
The Kremlin’s forces have repeatedly hit civilian areas during the war, though Russian officials claim that they choose only targets of military value.
Zelenskyy Vows To Respond To Attacks
In a post on Twitter, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered his condolences to the relatives of those killed. He promised “a response to the enemy. A tangible one.”
Zelenskyy’s tweet also featured a video which showed the extent of damage to a building in Lviv.
Ukrainians shared messages of support on social media for Lviv residents.
Ukrainian air force updates about the missiles’ course during the night showed they flew to the Kyiv region first, then turned west and flew toward Lviv. Russia often changes the route of their missiles and drones to find weak spots in Ukraine’s air defenses.
In the early days of the war, Lviv served as a main transit point for millions of refugees from different parts of the country that crossed the border to Europe. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians from the east and south remained in the calmer and safer Lviv.
Like the rest of the country, Lviv suffered power outages when Russia fired hundreds missiles over the winter, aiming to destroy Ukraine’s energy system.
However, the attacks in the city were not as frequent as in the capital Kyiv, and Thursday’s strike was a deep shock for many in the city.
Russia’s military has not commented on the reported attack.
