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Six diplomatic missions damaged in Russian strike on Kyiv

20.12.2024 17:00
At least six diplomatic missions were damaged, and one person killed in a Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s capital early Friday, authorities said.
A Ukrainian expert inspects the damage at the site of a missile strike in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 20 December 2024, amid the Russian invasion. At least one person was killed and 10 others injured as a result of Russian shelling in Kyiv, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU).
A Ukrainian expert inspects the damage at the site of a missile strike in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 20 December 2024, amid the Russian invasion. At least one person was killed and 10 others injured as a result of Russian shelling in Kyiv, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU). EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed that embassies and consular offices of Albania, Argentina, North Macedonia, Palestine, Portugal, and Montenegro sustained damage when debris from intercepted missiles fell onto their premises.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack as “Putin’s disregard for international law reaching new heights.”

Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told reporters that the country’s embassy in Kyiv suffered “relatively minor” damage, adding that no staff were killed or injured. He also noted that other foreign missions, which he did not name, were affected. The Portuguese Foreign Ministry later issued a statement calling the attack “completely unacceptable” and denouncing any strike on areas hosting diplomatic facilities.

According to Ukrainian officials, fragments of intercepted ballistic missiles—identified as Kinzhal and Iskander types—fell in several districts of the city, causing damage to buildings and vehicles.

One of the sites hit was near St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, a historic landmark that suffered minor damage. Nine people were injured in addition to the one fatality reported.

The incident underscores the continued vulnerability of Kyiv to Russian strikes, even as Ukraine’s air defenses work to intercept incoming missiles and prevent greater casualties and destruction.

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Source: IAR, PAP