On Saturday, the interior ministry reported that a Russian missile hit the central square of Chernihiv, a historic city in northern Ukraine, resulting in the tragic loss of seven lives, including a 6-year-old child, and leaving 90 individuals injured.
The incident occurred as people were en route to a church to commemorate a religious holiday. Among the wounded, 12 were children and 10 were police officers.
“A Russian missile hit right in the centre of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theatre,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was on a working visit to Sweden, posted on Telegram.
“An ordinary Saturday, which Russia turned into a day of pain and loss,” he added.
Amid Russia’s ongoing attack on Ukraine, a scene depicts the aftermath of a Russian missile strike in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on August 19, 2023. The photograph is credited to the National Police/Handout via REUTERS, with licensing rights acquired.
A brief video shared alongside Zelenskiy’s statement showcases the aftermath of the strike. Debris is strewn across a square in front of the regional drama theatre, where parked vehicles bear heavy damage. The footage briefly captures the distressing sight of an individual slouched inside one of the affected cars.
Chernihiv, located approximately 145 km (90 miles) north of the capital Kyiv, is characterized by its verdant boulevards and ancient churches.
Regrettably, the interior ministry reported that the strike led to the destruction of the drama theatre’s roof.
Russia’s invasion, initiated in February of the previous year, has seen missile and drone attacks reach Ukrainian cities distant from the conflict’s frontline.
In the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv’s air force disclosed that Ukrainian military forces had successfully taken down 15 out of 17 Shahed drones of Iranian origin launched by Moscow in an overnight offensive.
