Six killed in strike on Russia’s Kursk after deadly missile attack on Kyiv

Russia says six people have been killed, including a child, during a Ukrainian strike in the Kursk region.

The move comes after Ukrainian officials said Moscow fired new missiles at Kyiv, destroying a building housing several diplomats.

In Russia, the acting consul of the Kursk region said that in addition to those killed, several went to the hospital following the attack on the town of Rylsk.

Alexander Khinshtein said cultural centers, gymnasiums, schools and houses were damaged in the strike which took place at 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT).

Ukrainian forces are still holding parts of the Kursk region after the surprise launch in August.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that the Russian attack on the capital of the country affected diplomatic missions in Albania, Argentina, North Macedonia, Palestine, Portugal and Montenegro. It is not known if the house he is living in is straight.

At least one person was killed and nine others were injured in the protest, which destroyed several buildings in the city, the Ukrainian military said. It is not believed that any of the diplomats were injured.

In an authentic video shot in Pecherskyi district, Kyiv’s second-oldest Roman Catholic church, St Nicholas Cathedral, is shown with broken windows following a nearby explosion.

Ukraine’s military says Russia launched 65 drones and missiles across the country overnight, and many were shot down.

A man in Kyiv, who said he owned a restaurant badly damaged in the attack, was filmed cursing Russians as “monsters” as he looked at the charred shell of a building in front of him.

The video was widely shared on social media.

Another resident, Oksana, sent the BBC pictures of her damaged home, with windows blown out and glass and bricks just laid on the floor.

“I don’t understand how I survived,” he said.

“My balcony is blown away, half of my walls are gone. My neighbor is too scared to even speak. I have no words for the people who did this.”

A local journalist who was at the scene told the BBC that one of the buildings near the building was used by Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, and may have been affected by the protests, although the extensive damage the BBC saw involved. residential buildings.

In a statement confirming the attack, Russia’s Defense Ministry said missiles were fired at the SBU’s “command post” in response to a strike at a chemical plant in Russia’s Rostov Region two days ago.

But there is also speculation in Kyiv that Friday’s attack may be linked to the killing of a Russian General Lt-Gen Igor Kirillovin Moscow on Tuesday.

Friday’s attack comes a day later Vladimir Putin’s year-end press conference and a phone show, where he threatened to launch more missiles at the capital of Ukraine.

There is concern in Kyiv that Russia may use a called Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile hit the capital. Moscow tested the missile in the city of Dnipro earlier this month.

Early Friday morning, Ukrainian authorities issued an air warning about the launch of the Oreshnik missile, and urged people in Kyiv to seek shelter as soon as possible. It turned out to be a false alarm.