By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The second oldest church in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, was among sites hit by Russian ballistic missiles and other weapons, killing at least two personals and injuring over 20 people, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said his forces were winning on the bloodstained frontlines.
The facade, rose window, and external and internal glazing of the St Nicholas Roman Catholic church were damaged. Witnesses said the stairwells leading to its gothic spires, built early in the 20th century, were wrecked.
The UNESCO-listed building is among at least 1,222 cultural heritage sites that have been broken or destroyed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian officials said.
Witnesses saw windows shattered in the National House of Music next to the church.
The attack caused minor damage to diplomatic buildings in Kyiv, including the Portuguese embassy. Diplomatic sources confirmed that the missions of Albania and Montenegro are in the same block.
The Portuguese foreign minister Paulo Rangel said: “This was a very intense attack by the Russian Federation. It is absolutely unacceptable for attacks to damage or target diplomatic facilities.”
Russia fired eight ballistic missiles on Kyiv Friday, with several explosions reverberating throughout the capital at around 7 a.m. local time, according to residents.
SHOOTING DOWN MISSILES
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down eight Khinzal and Iskander-M missiles, with debris falling in several districts of the city. One person was killed, and at least 12 were injured, military sources said.
One intercepted missile fell on the Toronto business center, smashing its top story and setting fire to cars parked in the street below. A mangled vehicle was tossed over a fence.
The complex was home to Superhumans, a prosthetics and rehabilitation center for wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Its founder, Andrey Stavnitser, said his office was devastated. “It’s scary to think what would have happened if our glass room had been blown a couple of hours later,” he posted.
The damaged St Nicholas Roman Catholic church is opposite the complex.
Touring the devastation on Friday, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, accused Russia of “genocide” and said: “There is no justification for this.” He said the latest strike showed Putin’s complete indifference to the deaths of women and children. “We need air defenses.”
Remains from another missile crashed into the Holosiivskyi district, where one person was killed, according to authorities. Six people were reportedly admitted to hospital, and rescuers spent the morning putting out fires and clearing up rubble. The attack left 630 buildings without heating and power.
Yuliia Kuznets of the law firm VB Partners said: “The morning in Kyiv was truly devastating. The missiles were frighteningly close to our office. The offices of our clients sustained significant damage. Thank goodness it was early morning, and not many people were injured.”
CITIES HIT
Since its all-out attack began, Russia has regularly launched missiles at Ukrainian towns and cities, although Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilian sites.
In recent months, Moscow has systematically targeted Ukraine’s power infrastructure to demoralize the population and leave it freezing during the winter months, authorities say.
Friday’s attack reportedly featured Khinzal missiles launched by Russian fighter jets, as well as Iskander-Ms fired from ground platforms. North Korean KN-23 missiles – sent by Pyongyang to Moscow earlier this year – may have been deployed as well, Ukraine’s air force said.
Russia also carried out a separate barrage on the southern city of Kherson on Friday, officials said.
One person was killed and nine others injured during bombardment by heavy artillery and rockets at 8 a.m. Ukraine’s armed forces said they had foiled an attempt by Russian troops to cross the Dnipro River near the city’s ruined Antonivskyi Bridge.
Although a staggering 1 million people are believed to have been killed and injured on both sides, Putin claimed the war had made Russia “much stronger.”
He said he was ready to meet the incoming U.S. president, Donald J. Trump, to discuss peace proposals. But he repeated his stance that Moscow would keep control of Crimea, plus four Ukrainian regions “annexed” in 2022.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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