Russia unleashed the most devastating missile barrage to hit the city of Lviv in western Ukraine since the start of the war, prompting the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to vow retaliation for the overnight attack, according to Bloomberg.
“There will definitely be a response to the enemy. A strong one,” he said on Twitter.
The attack killed at least four people and injured 32, ruining two floors in an apartment building, the Interior Ministry said on Telegram.
This was the largest attack against civilian infrastructure in Lviv since the start of the invasion in February last year, the city’s Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on Telegram.
Ukraine downed seven of 10 Kalibr cruise missiles fired by Russia overnight from ships and submarines in the Black Sea, the country’s air force said on Telegram. The missile first headed north and then sharply turned west, targeting Lviv.
Lviv, situated just 60 kilometers from the border with Poland, has been a less frequent target for Russian missiles than cities in the country’s eastern and southern areas, which are closer to the front line.
Thursday evening’s attack on the city, which sits on an important supply route for western military aid, occurred as Ukraine continues its slow-moving counteroffensive and Russia appears to be losing its heavy weapons edge.