Two Ukrainian women rescued from rubble hours after Russian missile strike

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Rescue teams in southern Ukraine worked through the night to save two women trapped under rubble for more than seven hours after a Russian missile struck a private medical clinic in Zaporizhzhya late Tuesday afternoon.

The attack left six people dead and 22 injured, according to Ukrainian emergency services. The women were able to contact rescuers using their cell phones.

Deadly strikes on civilian areas are one of the hallmarks of the war which has lasted for almost three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, reiterating the urgent need for additional air defense systems from Western allies.

“We currently do not have enough systems to protect our country against Russian missiles. Our partners have these systems,” Mr. Zelensky said in his daily speech.

He urged allies to deploy air defense weapons from their arsenals, saying such systems “should save lives, not gather dust in storage bases.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine continued its long-range strikes on Russian-held areas.

A Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an industrial facility in the Russian region of Brianskwhere air defenses reportedly intercepted 14 drones early Wednesday, according to Russian authorities.

Furthermore, a Ukrainian missile strike damaged an industrial facility in It vibratesin Russia’s Rostov region, Governor Yuri Slusar said.

On Monday, Zelensky said he was ready to consider deploying Western troops to Ukraine as part of efforts to secure the country and end the war with Russia.

On Telegram, he stressed that such an initiative would be in line with Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, but insisted on the need for a clear timetable regarding the country’s membership in NATO and the European Union.

“But before that, we need to clearly understand when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO.”

Additional sources • adaptation: Serge Duchêne