Russian commanders pounded Ukraine’s cities with waves of devastating airstrikes yesterday claiming at least nine lives, including that of a two-day-old baby.
As many as 75 missiles were fired into Ukraine, 31 at the capital Kyiv, where a 17-year-old was among three killed.
Overnight, Moscow targeted the neonatal unit at a hospital in Vilniansk, close to Zaporizhzhia, killing the newborn, whose mother and a doctor were rescued.
Regional governor Oleksandr Starukh stormed: “At night, Russian monsters launched huge rockets at the small maternity ward of the hospital in Vilniansk.
“Grief overwhelms our hearts – a baby was killed who had just seen the light of day.”
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelensky said the hit caused “horrible pain” and vowed: “We’ll never forget and never forgive.”
Moscow’s troops targeted cities nationwide, again hitting Lviv in the far west of the country.
Russia ’s attacks have forced the nation’s last three fully functioning nuclear power plants to disconnect from the grid and left “the vast majority of electricity consumers” without power, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said.
The onslaught came as Britain announced it is sending three Sea King helicopters to Ukraine, the first piloted aircraft to be sent by the British Government.
The MoD confirmed 10,000 more artillery rounds are also being dispatched as the UK continues to show its solidarity.
As Wednesday’s barrage was underway Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned residents: “[There has been a] hit on one of the infrastructure facilities of the capital. Stay in shelters – the air raid continues.”
Moments later, the former heavyweight boxer added: “Several more explosions in different parts of the capital. Rescuers and doctors are on their way.”
Civilians are suffering increasingly in the southern city of Kherson, from which Russia retreated nearly two weeks ago.
Doctors work in the dark, unable to use elevators to transport patients to surgery and forced into operating using headlamps, mobile phones and flashlights.
In the northeastern city of Kupiansk, two civilians were killed and two more were wounded by Russian shelling on a residential building.
Vladimir Putin ’s “rocketman” Dmitry Medvedev yesterday claimed Russia is well-stocked with missiles to continues its strikes.
The former Russian president said: “Our enemies continue to thoroughly calculate our [missile] launches and our reserves.
“They hope in vain for the exhaustion of our capabilities. There are enough of them.”
But senior assistant to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak said: “The terrorists immediately confirm that they are terrorists – they launch rockets. Naive losers.”
