Deadly Russian Missile Strike Claims Lives in Northern Ukrainian City as Zelenskyy Visits NATO Hopeful Sweden

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A Russian missile strike conducted in the heart of a northern Ukrainian city resulted in the tragic death of seven individuals and left over a hundred others injured, including children, as stated by Ukrainian authorities.

The attack unfolded in Chernihiv at the same time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy embarked on a visit to Sweden, marking his first international journey after participating in a NATO summit in Lithuania the previous month.

Distressing images after the incident portrayed extensively damaged structures, such as a theater with its roof obliterated, wrecked vehicles, and survivors navigating through debris while clad in blood-stained clothing. Among the casualties in this daylight assault was a 6-year-old girl, and among the 129 wounded, 15 were children, affirmed Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

At the moment of the strike, the square outside the theater was lively, with individuals returning from church celebrations related to the Apple Feast of the Savior religious occasion, clutching blessed apples in baskets, as recounted by Klymenko. The aftermath of the missile attack left debris from the theater’s roof strewn across the square, alongside shattered glass from adjacent car windows and eateries.

The missile struck the theater during a gathering that involved drone manufacturers and schools focused on aerial reconnaissance training, according to organizer Mariia Berlinska. Berlinska confirmed that the event had received prior approval from both local authorities and the venue. However, the Chernihiv City Council denied having granted approval for the event or issuing any permits.

In response to the attack, Zelenskyy branded Russia as a “terrorist state” and called for global unity against it. He conveyed this sentiment on Telegram: “A Russian missile hit right in the center of the city, in our Chernihiv. A square, the polytechnic university, a theater. An ordinary Saturday, which Russia turned into a day of pain and loss.”

Chernihiv had been encircled by Russian forces at the beginning of the conflict, but they retreated after Ukrainian troops regained control over areas to the north of Kyiv in the preceding April.

Zelenskyy’s unanticipated visit to Sweden marked his first to the Scandinavian nation since the outbreak of the extensive invasion. This war induced Sweden to shift its longstanding stance of military neutrality to support Ukraine with weaponry and seek NATO membership, though its accession to the alliance is still pending.

During a joint press conference, Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson disclosed their countries’ decision to collaborate on the development, training, and maintenance of Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicles. Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would begin manufacturing these vehicles under the terms of the agreement.

Moreover, he urged Kristersson to consider sharing Sweden’s Gripen fighter aircraft with Ukraine. Zelenskyy articulated, “We lack air superiority, and our aircraft are not modern. The Swedish Gripen is indeed a source of pride for your country, and I believe the prime minister could extend this pride to Ukraine.”

Although Sweden agreed to allow Ukrainian pilots to test the Gripen planes, the country had yet to commit to providing any to Kyiv.

Zelenskyy pledged to take “appropriate actions” in the forthcoming weeks to help Ukraine secure “appropriate aircraft.” He conveyed, “I will also hold negotiations with several other nations tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. I am confident that together with our partners, we will do everything necessary to level the playing field in the sky, so that the Russians do not maintain an advantage there.”

On the prior Friday, Denmark and the Netherlands revealed that the United States had authorized them to deliver U.S.-manufactured F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Sweden has contributed 20 billion kronor (1.7 billion euros) in military aid to Ukraine, including Archer artillery units, Leopard 2 tanks, and CV90 armored vehicles.

Zelenskyy met with Kristersson and other Swedish officials at Harpsund, the official summer residence of the prime minister, situated approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Stockholm. He and his wife Olena Zelenska subsequently engaged with Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at a palace in the region.

Kristersson expressed his condolences to Zelenskyy for the Chernihiv attack and condemned the Russian missile strike as a “barbaric act” that “further underscores the necessity for us to stand with you throughout your struggles.”

Meanwhile, in Russia, President Vladimir Putin visited high-ranking military personnel in Rostov-on-Don, located near the Ukrainian border. The Kremlin reported that Putin was briefed by Valery Gerasimov, the commander responsible for Moscow’s operations in Ukraine, and other senior military leaders at the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District.

While the exact timing of his visit remained unconfirmed, state media released nighttime footage that seemingly depicted Gerasimov welcoming Putin and escorting him into a building. The actual meeting occurred behind closed doors.

This marked Putin’s initial visit to Rostov-on-Don since the attempted mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in June, a brief episode during which the group briefly took control of the city. Throughout this revolt, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin repeatedly criticized Gerasimov, who serves as the head of the Russian armed forces’ general staff, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for neglecting to supply his fighters in Ukraine.

Prigozhin asserted that the uprising was not directed at Putin but at removing Gerasimov and other top-ranking officers, whom he accused of mismanaging the conflict in Ukraine.

This week, Kyiv declared advances in their counteroffensive on the southeastern front, reclaiming control over the village of Urozhaine in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region on Wednesday.

The leader of the Russian battalion tasked with maintaining control over Urozhaine advocated for a “freeze of the front” on Thursday, stating that his forces were unable to prevail against Ukraine. Alexander Khodakovsky remarked in a Telegram video, “Can we achieve a military victory over Ukraine? At present and in the immediate future, no.”

Over the course of Friday night into Saturday, Ukraine’s air force reported downing 15 out of 17 Russian drones targeting regions in the north, center, and west of the country.

In the western Khmelnytskyi region, Deputy Governor Serhii Tiurin reported two individuals wounded and numerous structures damaged in an attack. In the northwestern Zhytomyr region, a Russian drone strike targeted an infrastructure facility, sparking a fire, but no casualties were reported, according to Governor Vitalii Bunechko.

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