A Russian airstrike on early Thursday set off a series of fires in an apartment block in Dnipro, a southeastern city in Ukraine.
“The enemy is attacking Dnipro. Fires have broken out in various districts of the city. Residential buildings have been damaged. The air alert continues. Stay in safe places until the all-clear,” a statement was delivered by the regional governer, Oleksandr Ganzha, at 01:09 Kyiv time.
According to Ganzha, a strike on a high-rise building was recorded along with fires in various districts.
He later informed that a Russian drone hit a multi-story building directly, resulting in several apartments to catch fire.
He also reported the fire injuring seven people, including two children.
Ganzha wrote on Telegram that five people were being treated in the hospital, including girls aged nine and fourteen. He also posted pictures online showing several apartments on fire and emergency teams using extendable ladders with buckets to bring the flames under control.
Ganzha said that in addition to the apartment blocks, multiple cars and a store also caught fire in the city.
The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had issued a warning of enemy drones heading toward Dnipro before the attacks took place.
History of Russian attacks on Dnipro
Dnipro had been a frequent target of Russian airstrikes since the full-scale invasion started in 2022.
In an attack on Dnipro on April 10, eight multi-story buildings were damaged with windows being blown out.
On April 16, Russian units had carried out combined strikes on Dnipro, resulting in damages to administrative buildings, residential houses, an enterprise, and vehicles. It also caused damages to its Art Museum building.
Russia has been repeatedly accused of warcrimes by Ukranian authorities as well as international administrations for using missiles and drones to strike residential areas, causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure.
