Five die in Kursk strike following Kyiv missile attack

A Ukrainian strike in the western Kursk region killed five persons on Friday, according to a Russian report, following Kyiv missile attack.

According to source, Ukrainian officials earlier said Moscow had damaged a facility housing multiple embassies in Kyiv with a new missile attack.

In addition to those slain, nine people were hospitalized after the attack on the town of Rylsk, as disclosed by the acting governor of the Kursk region in Russia.

According to Alexander Khinshtein, the strike, which began at 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) on Friday, destroyed homes, a school, a fitness center, and a cultural center.

Earlier, Russian officials said that six people, including a toddler, had been murdered in Rylsk, which is roughly 25 kilometers (16 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

However, Khinstein provided the most recent information, stating that there were five fatalities, in an audio message posted on Telegram on Saturday morning.

“There were no children among those [killed],” he stated.

From the Ukraine end

Following a surprise cross-border offensive in early August, Ukrainian troops continue to control portions of the Kursk area.

The diplomatic posts of Albania, Argentina, North Macedonia, Palestine, Portugal, and Montenegro were all impacted by Russia’s attack on Kyiv, according to Ukraine’s foreign ministry.

It’s unclear if the Ukrainian capital’s building where they were housed was specifically targeted.

According to Ukraine’s military, the strike damaged many buildings in the city and left at least one person dead and nine others injured.

None of the diplomats at the embassy are believed to have been hurt.

St. Nicholas Cathedral, the second-oldest Roman Catholic church in Kyiv, has windows broken after a nearby explosion, according to a verified video shot in the Pecherskyi District.

According to reports, Russia launched 65 missiles and drones throughout the nation overnight, the most of which were shot down.

A man in Kyiv was caught on camera calling the Russians “beasts” while he looked at the burned-out shell of a building in front of him.

He claimed to be the owner of a restaurant that was severely damaged after the attack.

On social media, the video received a lot of shares.

Another tenant, Oksana, provided the pictures of her apartment, which was reportedly devastated, with masonry and glass scattered all over the floors and windows smashed in.

“I don’t understand how I survived,” she said.

“My balcony flew away, half my walls are gone.

“My neighbour is in such shock she can’t even speak.

“I have no words for the people who did this”, she added.

Although most of the damage witnessed by newsmen was to residential structures, a local journalist on the scene told them that one of the surrounding buildings had been used by the Ukrainian Security Service, or SBU, and was probably the target of the strikes.

According to source, the Russian defense ministry confirmed the incident in a statement, stating that missiles had been fired at an SBU “command post” in reaction to an attack on a chemical factory in the Rostov Region of Russia two days prior.

However, there is also conjecture in Kyiv that Friday’s incident might be connected to the Tuesday murder of Russian commander Lt-Gen Igor Kirillov in Moscow.

Putin threatens

Vladimir Putin reportedly threatened to launch more ballistic missiles against the Ukrainian capital during his year-end news conference and phone-in program, which followed Friday’s attack.

Russia’s potential use of an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile to strike Kyiv has raised concerns in Ukraine.

The missile was tested earlier this month by Moscow against the city of Dnipro in the center.

People in Kyiv were instructed to seek cover immediately after Ukrainian officials issued an air alert earlier Friday morning that was linked to the potential launch of an Oreshnik missile.

According to report, it was a false alarm.

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