A missile assault orchestrated by Russia struck the heart of a northern Ukrainian city on Saturday, resulting in the loss of seven lives and causing injuries to over a hundred individuals, including children, as confirmed by Ukrainian authorities.

The incident unfolded in Chernihiv at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was embarking on his inaugural international journey since his participation in a NATO summit in Lithuania last month, the Associated Press reported.

Photographs portraying the aftermath depicted extensively damaged structures, including a theater stripped of its roof, twisted vehicles, and survivors navigating through debris while clad in bloodstained clothing.

Among the casualties of this daylight attack was a 6-year-old girl, and out of the 129 wounded, 15 were children, according to statements by Ukraine’s Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko.

The area in front of the theater, which had been teeming with life, saw people returning from church following the celebration of the Apple Feast of the Savior religious holiday, carrying baskets of blessed apples, Klymenko recounted.

Subsequent to the strike, remnants of the theater roof scattered the square, alongside fragments of shattered glass from adjacent cars and restaurants.

Written by staff