Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to retaliate after a Russian strike hit the building of the National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said other sites were also targeted in Kyiv, including a pharmaceutical company and petrol stations, while a business centre in Dnipro, as well as civilian facilities, businesses and communications infrastructure in other cities and regions, were also hit.
Announcing the attack on Monday, the president said at least one person was killed in the strike on the academy building, while several others were injured.
“Russia will definitely face a response to this,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Moscow must be held accountable and face real consequences.
He said a rescue operation was underway following the strike, with emergency crews battling the fire and searching for people who may have been trapped inside the building.
Zelenskyy also called on Ukraine’s international partners to take the attacks into account and support measures that would impose consequences on Russia.
“And every one of Ukraine’s partners must see from this terror, from these strikes, that supporting Ukraine means truly supporting people’s lives – supporting the principle that terror must never be normalized, anywhere,” he added.
The president also expressed condolences to the families of those affected by the strike, assuring them that Ukraine would continue to respond to the attacks.