Russian rocket attack in Lviv, Ukraine kills 4, wounds 32, including children

Kiev: Russia's Lviv missile attack kills at least four people. It was one of the worst attacks on the city's civilian infrastructure since Russia's all-out invasion  February last year, according to Reuters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a video online showing the demolition of buildings with broken roofs, high floors and windows. Rescue teams searched for survivors among the rubble. Zelensky offered his condolences to the affected families and said a "significant" response would be given soon.

The Interior Ministry confirmed the death toll at four and injured 32 others, including a child. Rescue efforts were underway on Thursday. Rescue services reported that they managed to rescue seven people from the rubble and 64 others were evacuated to safety.

Mayor Andriy Sadovyi called the attack  the most substantial on Lviv's civilian infrastructure during the 16-month war. Lviv, situated far from the front lines and about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the border with NATO member Poland, suffered heavy damage.

Before the Russian invasion in February 2022, the city had about 700,000 residents. Since then, the population has grown as people flee to other parts of the country to escape fighting and air strikes. 

The Ukrainian air force said Russia employed Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea in the attack on Lviv. Of the ten missiles fired, seven were reportedly intercepted and shot down.

A Reuters report quoted Mayor Sadowi as saying that several residential buildings, an office center, a student campus and a school were damaged in the attack. The impact of the attack included the shattering of hundreds of apartment windows, leading to huge financial costs for repairs and restoration.

According to British media website, the regional head of Lviv Maksym Kozytskyi said a “critical infrastructure facility” in the city was targeted in a recent strike. However, he did not provide specific details regarding the incident. Kozytskyi expressed that Russia’s primary objective is the destruction of the Ukrainian people but affirmed that Ukraine would emerge victorious.

Russia has carried out deadly missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent months, often targeting civilian areas and causing widespread power outages.Just last week, a restaurant and shopping centre were struck in Kramatorsk, an eastern city close to Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of 13 individuals, including children.