CNN
–
Russia killed dozens of Ukrainian civilians within 48 hours on Monday and Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said.
A five-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl were among the victims of the Russian attacks, and launched as Ukrainian allies began gathering for a key NATO meeting in the Netherlands.
Ukrainian officials said 15 people were killed in Dnipro on Tuesday after Russian ballistic missiles struck the largest city in the country’s southeastern part of the country, but nine were killed on a strike in an apartment in Kiev on Monday.
At least 20 others have been killed in strikes across the country, including Sumy, Kherson, Donetsk and Odesa regions.
In Dnipro, local officials said the missiles caused damage, unlike previous attacks on the city.
Mayor Boriz Firatov said almost 50 buildings have been damaged, including schools, medical facilities, city sites and residential buildings.
“This is an unprecedented amount of destruction that cities have never seen before in the entirety of a full-scale war. The number of casualties is so high that even ambulances can’t keep up,” he added.
Authorities say more than 170 people have been injured, with about 100 remaining at the city’s hospital on Tuesday evening.
The passenger seat, which has around 500 people, was also damaged by the strike.
“In residential buildings and various local government facilities in the city, there are only over 2,000 crushed windows,” he said.
Ukrainian President Voldymeierzelensky was in the Hague at the NATO Summit on Tuesday.
While Ukraine is not a member of NATO and would like to participate, the issue of potential membership in the future remains controversial. Russia has tried to prevent Ukraine from joining the alliance. Moscow claims that NATO’s Eastern expansion poses a threat to its security following the end of the Cold War.
Zelensky met NATO Secretary General Mark Latte, chairman of the Council of Europe Antonia Costa and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
He hoped to meet President Donald Trump later Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said.
The two were scheduled to meet at Canada’s G7 summit earlier this month, but the meeting didn’t happen as Trump left the summit earlier than expected due to the Iran-Israel conflict.
As the world turned its attention to the Middle East, Zelensky was keen to highlight Iran and Russia’s relations.
Iran has been one of Russia’s strongest supporters since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale Ukrainian invasion in 2022. The Iranian regime supplied weapons to Moscow, including short-range ballistic missiles and thousands of Shahed drones. US authorities also have a drone factory built in Russia.
Moscow has been backed by Iran after the recent conflict with Israel and its attack on Iran’s nuclear grounds on Sunday.
Russia has intensified air attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks after successfully expanding domestic production of Iran-designed Shahed, the most frequently used type of drone.
Zelensky said Tuesday that Russia launched 28,743 Shahed drones to Ukraine since 2022, with 2,736 people being fired this month.
“Russia could not have done this without its involvement with the Iranian regime,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader told reporters at the summit that there were no indications that Putin wanted to stop the war with Ukraine.
“Russia rejects all peace proposals, including those from the United States. Putin thinks only about war. That’s true. He is alive as long as he is alive, as long as he continues to kill his political survival,” Zelensky said.
Talks between Russia, Ukraine and third countries have largely stagnated after Moscow has retreated its biggest demands and presented a ceasefire proposal based on Ukraine’s surrender.
Speaking about the summit’s sidelines, British Defense Secretary John Healy said it was important not to forget Ukraine, “although all eyes were in the Middle East.”
“President Putin wants to slip our focus and part of the strong message from NATO is that we don’t let it happen and this session is an important part of that,” he said.
Zelensky was in London on Monday. There he met British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer and King Charles III.
Kiev officials said Monday’s attack on the apartment killed several members of several families.
Lucy Alexenkova, a journalist with a Ukrainian television channel, said her brother, wife and step-sister’s father were killed in an attack on Kiev.
The same strike killed his mother and 11-year-old daughter, Timur Tokachenko, head of the Kiev junta, said on Telegram.