Russia launched a missile attack early on Thursday on cities across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine denounced Russia’s “criminal and unprovoked aggression” on his country before the UN.

The missiles sent civilians rushing to shelters in places ranging from Lviv, on the country’s western edge, to Kharkiv in the northeast. In Kyiv, at least seven people were wounded, fires broke out and a gas pipe was damaged from missile debris, according to the mayor and the regional military administration.

And in Cherkasy in central Ukraine, one person had been rescued from a building in the city centre, and rescuers were searching for survivors buried under rubble, according to the ministry of internal affairs.

Zelensky spent two days this week in New York at the UN, denouncing Russia’s “unprovoked aggression and appealing for more financial and military aid”. There has been growing concern about Ukraine’s ability to regain territory. Russia launched the missiles hours after Zelensky’s speech.

Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in June to retake occupied land in the south and east of the country. While it has registered some success amid heavy fighting, it has yet to achieve a breakthrough.

New York Times News Service