Russian attack on Ukrainian residential building kills 3

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Three people were killed and six others injured Thursday when a Russian missile hit a five-story building in Zaporizhia, a city in southeastern Ukraine, police said.

The projectile destroyed several floors of the building at dawn, explained the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

So far, the state emergency service has rescued 11 people, the department said in an online statement.

Zaporizhia had more than 700,000 inhabitants before Kremlin troops invaded the neighboring country just over a year ago. It is the administrative capital of the province of the same name, which is partially occupied and houses the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

Russian artillery, drones and missiles have been hitting kyiv-controlled areas in the south and east of the country for months. Moscow denies attacking civilian targets, but its indiscriminate bombardment has caused widespread destruction in urban centers.

During the winter months, the war slowed down to near stalemate.

Zelenskyy said Russia “wants to make every day a day of terror for our people… But evil will not rule our land.”

Meanwhile, the bitter battle for control of Bájmut, a key stronghold in the east of the country, continues. Ukrainian officials have said their army could make a strategic withdrawal there.

The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops “continue to advance and storm the city”, but Kyiv forces repelled some of the attacks. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said one person was injured on Thursday morning.

Bakhmut was among the towns and villages in the Donetsk region that were shelled by Russia, according to the Ukrainian army command note.

Taking the city would not only mark a rare victory for Russian forces on the battlefield after months of setbacks, but could break Ukrainian supply lines and allow Kremlin troops to advance on other Kyiv strongholds in Province.