Nine killed in Ukraine

Kyiv accuses Moscow of using North Korean missile

KYIV:

Russia launched one of its largest overnight air assaults on Ukraine on Thursday, firing more than 70 missiles and about 280 drones in attacks that killed at least nine people, including three children, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said delays in the delivery of allied air defence systems were costing Ukrainian lives.

According to Ukrainian officials, the strikes targeted several regions across the country, with Kyiv and the western Lviv region near the Polish border among the main targets. Zelenskiy said Russia had also used a North Korean missile in an attack on the southeastern village of Radushne, describing it as the first such use in a considerable period. Preliminary assessments indicated the missile was supplied by North Korea.

A missile strike on Radushne in the Dnipropetrovsk region killed six people, including three children, prompting authorities to declare a day of mourning on Friday. Zelenskiy said five children remained missing after the blast almost completely destroyed a family home

Only forensic examinations would determine the identities of the victims whose remains were recovered from the rubble, he added. One person was killed in Kyiv, another in the western city of Lviv and one more in the central region of Poltava, officials said, bringing the nationwide death toll to nine.

Poland, a NATO and European Union member, scrambled fighter aircraft to protect its airspace during the attacks. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a Russian cruise missile appeared to have left a large crater and debris in a field in eastern Poland.

"Protecting against the Russian missile threat is the most important task for preserving the lives of our people," Zelenskiy said, urging allies to accelerate deliveries of anti-ballistic missile systems. He said untimely assistance and delays in supplying air defence missiles had contributed to the destruction and casualties inflicted by the latest strikes.