Indian national among 12 killed in latest Russian strikes on Ukraine

An Indian national was among 12 people killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Indian Embassy is coordinating with the victim's family, company and Ukrainian authorities to repatriate the mortal remains, while dozens were injured

London: An Indian national was among 12 people killed in the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, as drones and ballistic missiles struck several cities in the eastern European nation, damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.

Since Monday evening, guided aerial bomb and drone strikes have continued against Odesa city and the surrounding region, leaving thousands of families without electricity, Zelenskyy said in a social media post. “Overall, 12 people were killed, among them an Indian citizen,” he said. “My condolences to everyone who has lost family and loved ones.”

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The Indian Embassy in Ukraine said it was “providing all possible assistance for early repatriation of the mortal remains.” “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in an attack in Ukraine. The Embassy is in touch with the bereaved family and extends its deepest condolences,” the Indian mission said in a post on X. “We are providing all possible assistance for early repatriation of the mortal remains. In this regard, the Embassy is in contact with his company and the Ukrainian authorities,” it added.

Giving details of the attacks, Zelenskyy said dozens of people were injured in the strikes, which also hit Kyiv, Odesa, Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy and Dnipro regions. In Kyiv, seven people were killed in a strike on a railway depot. In Boryspil, a five-storey residential building was damaged, and 50 people were evacuated, while four people were killed and 13 injured in the city, Zelenskyy said. He said nearly 350 first responders were involved in rescue and recovery operations in Kyiv and the surrounding region alone.

“A significant number of jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles were used in the attack,” Zelenskyy said, adding that residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged. Russian guided aerial bomb and drone strikes also continued against Odesa and the surrounding region, he said. A border crossing with Romania and export infrastructure were also “deliberately damaged”, according to Zelenskyy. The president blamed Russia for deliberately targeting civilians and called for increased air defence assistance to Ukraine.

“Russia always plans its strikes specifically to cause as much destruction to people’s lives as possible, and it succeeds only when air defence capabilities are insufficient. “The number of victims of Russian terror directly hinges on every new package of assistance,” Zelenskyy said, while thanking countries supporting Ukraine through the Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) and bilateral supplies.