According to the Interior Ministry, a residential area in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv was targeted by a rocket attack overnight on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of four individuals. The ministry reported that at least nine people sustained injuries, and a search and rescue operation is currently underway. So far, seven individuals have been successfully rescued from the debris.
Over 60 individuals were reportedly evacuated from the severely damaged houses in the aftermath of the rocket attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed on Telegram that there would be a definite response to what he referred to as an attack by Russian terrorists.
Videos circulating online depicted residential buildings that were heavily damaged or completely destroyed.
Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of Lviv, characterized the incident as the most significant attack on Lviv’s civilian infrastructure since the commencement of the Russian war against Ukraine over 16 months ago.
Over 50 houses were destroyed in the rocket attack, causing significant damage to the residential area.
Lviv has been a haven for many refugees from the conflict-ridden regions of eastern Ukraine.
The city had experienced a period of relative calm until June when it became the target of airstrikes once again.
In response to the escalating tensions, Ukraine initiated a counteroffensive against Russian forces at the start of June.