Russian strikes damage embassies and leave one dead in kyiv, EU condemns

INTERNATIONAL – Diplomatic missions as the core target. Russia fired ballistic missiles at kyiv this Friday, December 20, killing one person, injuring around ten others and damaging several embassies. This attack was carried out according to Moscow, “in response” to a Ukrainian strike against a Russian chemical factory.

“One person was killed, 12 were injured” including five hospitalized, according to the latest report from the military administration of the Ukrainian capital.

“New heinous attack”

Six diplomatic missions located in the same building were damaged: those of Albania, Argentina, the Palestinian Authority, North Macedonia, Portugal and Montenegro, Ukrainian diplomacy indicated, denouncing a “barbaric attack”.

“A new heinous attack on kyiv. This time against a building housing the Portuguese embassy and other diplomatic services”denounced the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on X.

The Portuguese government also condemned the attack “vehemently” in a press release and summoned the Russian charge d’affaires.

“As has been the case for several nights, there was a very intense attack by the Russian Federation on the city of kyiv, and one of the explosions caused relatively light material damage to the diplomatic installations of several countries, including the Chancellery of the Portuguese Embassy »Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told local media.

Among the countries whose diplomatic missions are installed “in the same building” which was affected by this explosion, he cited Argentina, Albania and Montenegro. “It is absolutely unacceptable for attacks to damage or target diplomatic facilities”he further underlined.

Heating cut off, church and university damaged

AFP journalists in kyiv heard a first series of explosions around 7 a.m., then saw smoke rising above several places.

Of the ” debris “ missiles fell on three districts of kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. In particular, they caused a heating cut for several hours in more than 600 residential buildings, health establishments and schools in temperatures close to zero, he lamented.

The worst-hit area is in an affluent central neighborhood where the roof of a luxury office building was partially destroyed. Charred carcasses were visible nearby. Residential buildings, a hotel, a Catholic church and a university were also damaged.

The Russian attack was carried out using five ballistic missiles of the type « Iskander-M/KN-23 »all shot down, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. kyiv used the powerful American Patriot system to shoot down the projectiles, according to a Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson.

The Russian army also bombed Kherson, a large city in the south of the country, at dawn. At least two people were killed and 10 injured in this strike which hit infrastructure “essential”deprived of electricity “up to 60,000” homes, according to regional authorities.

In ” answer “ to a Ukrainian strike with Western missiles

The Russian army, for its part, said it had attacked kyiv “in response” to a strike carried out on Wednesday by Ukraine with Western missiles against a Russian factory. “A group strike was carried out (…) against the (Ukrainian special services) SBU control center, the Luch design office, based in kyiv, which designs and manufactures Neptune missile systems”the Russian army said in a statement this morning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed that Moscow will respond to any Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil carried out using Western missiles, even threatening to relaunch its new missile “Orechnik”.

This attack on kyiv also came after an exchange of barbs between the master of the Kremlin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

Vladimir Putin proposed Thursday during his major annual press conference a « duel » between his missile “Orechnik”which he suggested firing on the Ukrainian capital, and Western air defense means. “We are organizing such an experiment, such a high-tech duel, and we will see what happens. It’s interesting »he said. “People are dying, and he thinks it’s interesting… Asshole”President Zelensky fumed on X.

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