Deadly attack on Dnipro city leaves at least 5 dead, 53 injured

This article was originally published in English

At least five people were killed, including a child, and 53 injured on Wednesday in a Russian attack on the city of Dnipro, according to authorities. The strikes hit a shopping center, a gas station and several vehicles.

A few meters away, a fire broke out near a hospital center. Debris flew into the children’s intensive care unit, but no casualties were reported.

A video posted on social media by Volodymyr Zelensky shows several shells being fired at the city.

The Ukrainian President condemned this new attack, and reiterated his call to his Western allies to to obtain new air defense systems and their agreement to strike deeper into Russia.

On Wednesday, Ukraine received 2 billion euros from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) within the framework of a permanent credit facility, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced.

An additional 14 billion euros is expected under the deal, but Ukraine must pass IMF checks on its progress on economic criteria before each part is released. These funds will be used, among other things, for social benefits and salaries of doctors and teachers, said Denys Chmyhal.

Located about a hundred kilometers as the crow flies west of the front line with Russia, Dnipro is regularly targeted by Russian air attacks. In January 2023, a missile hit a residential building in the city, killing 46 people.

In its third year, the war killed more than 10,000 civilians and injured 20,000 others, according to the United Nations.

Russia continues its offensive on cities near the front line in the Donetsk region in the hope of facilitating a breakthrough. On Wednesday morning, the Russian army claimed control of the Novi district in the strategic city of Chassiv Yar. However, it was not immediately clear whether the Russian soldiers had managed to cross the canal which separates part of this peripheral district from the rest of the city.

This is the first area conquered in this strategic city in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow is seeking to seize in the hope of facilitating a breakthrough. The city’s elevated position would allow Russian troops to reach Kramatorsk with their cannons.the largest mining town in the region and Ukrainian garrison on this part of the front.

The Telegram channel DeepState, made up of open-source researchers close to Kyiv, claimed that *This neighborhood had been “completely shaved” and that persisting in holding it would only lead to “increased losses”.* “The withdrawal from this district is therefore a logical decision, although difficult”she concluded.