Russian missile strike kills four in Lviv in west Ukraine - officials
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[July 06, 2023]
By Andriy Perun
LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) -A Russian missile strike killed at least four
people in Lviv on Thursday in the biggest attack on the western
Ukrainian city's civilian infrastructure since Russia's full-scale
invasion, Ukrainian officials said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted a one-minute video online showing
buildings with parts of the roof and upper floors destroyed, windows
smashed, and rescuers searching through the debris for survivors. He
said there would be a response.
"Unfortunately, there are wounded and dead. My condolences to the
families," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.
"There definitely will be a response to the enemy. It will be a
noticeable one."
The Interior Ministry put the death toll at four, and said 34 people had
been wounded, including a child. Rescuers were continuing to work at the
scene.
The emergency services said they had managed to rescue seven people from
the rubble and evacuated 64 others.
"They, Russians, Rashists, say that they are bombing military objects
but they hit a peaceful house. People were sleeping. How could they do
it?," said Lviv resident Vira Luben, a woman in her seventies, using a
derogatory term for Russians.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jul/06/images/ads/current/guzzardos_sda_HEROS_2023.png)
Holding back tears, she added: "World - save and help us, because
without you we will not manage to deal with them."
Reuters television footage showed residents calming their crying
neighbours while others helped rescuers sweep up shattered glass.
Ukraine's air force said Russia had attacked Lviv with Kalibr missiles
launched from the Black Sea. It said seven out of 10 missiles were shot
down.
Russia did not immediately comment on the attack. It denies deliberately
targeting civilians despite repeatedly hitting residential areas in
frequent air strikes across Ukraine.
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![](../images/070623PIX/news_p26.jpg)
A general view of damaged buildings
following a Russian rocket strike that hit an apartment building,
amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine in this screen
grab obtained from a handout video released on July 6, 2023.
Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jul/06/images/ads/current/graue_lda_preowned_070323.jpg)
APPEALS FOR WEAPONS
Mayor Andriy Sadovyi called it the largest attack of the more than
16-month-old war on civilian infrastructure in Lviv, a city that is
far from frontlines and about 70 km (43 miles) from the border with
NATO member Poland.
Lviv was home to about 700,000 people before Russia's full-scale
invasion in February 2022. The population has swollen since the war
began because many people have fled to the city from fighting and
air strikes in other parts of the country.
Sadovyi said that 35 residential houses, an office complex, a
student campus, a school, and 50 cars were damaged. He said windows
in hundreds of apartments were smashed and the city would provide
100 million hryvnias ($2.7 million) for repairs.
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskiy's office, condemned the attack,
called for more air defence systems from allies and urged Ukraine's
Western partners to accept it as a NATO member.
The military alliance holds a summit next week but some members are
wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with
Russia.
Zelenskiy said in excerpts of an interview with CNN that were
released on Wednesday that he had hoped to launch a counteroffensive
against Russian forces sooner than last month, and that he had urged
Western allies to accelerate the supply of weapons for that mission
(Additional reporting by Olena Harmash and Anna Pruchnicka, Editing
by Timothy Heritage)
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