The Russian attack against Ukraine in the early hours of Tuesday left at least 23 dead, 16 of them in the city of Dnipro, according to kyiv, which again urgently requested air defense systems from the United States.

Several hours after the bombings, rescue teams continued to recover bodies from the rubble of damaged buildings. The injured numbered in the dozens.

kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported seven dead and 52 injured in the capital

The highest number of deaths has been recorded in the city of Dnipro, an industrial city in central-eastern Ukraine where a Russian missile has completely destroyed a residential building.

After completing the search work, the regional authorities have given a final toll of 16 dead, including two children, and 42 wounded in the attack on Dnipro.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned in recent days of a possible massive attack by Russia, after Moscow asked foreign embassies in kyiv to evacuate the capital.

“If Ukraine is not protected against ballistic missiles and other projectiles, these attacks will continue,” the president declared on social networks.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, according to his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. “Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited by international humanitarian law and must stop,” the spokesperson told reporters.

The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, claimed to have carried out a “massive offensive” directed solely against facilities linked to the Ukrainian armed forces.

Sibiga: “Moscow is losing on the battlefield”

For his part, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Andrii Sibiga, accused the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, of having "no other cards but terror" and stated that "Moscow is losing on the battlefield."

According to AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukraine recovered some 282 km² that were in Russian hands in May, which represents a reduction for the second consecutive month of the area of ​​​​its territory controlled by Moscow, which has advanced since the end of 2023.

After more than four years of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, negotiations to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II have stalled.