INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia attacked cities across Ukraine on Monday with a missile barrage that killed more than three dozen people and ripped open a children's
hospital in Kyiv, an assault condemned as a ruthless attack on civilians.Dozens of volunteers including hospital staff and rescue workers
dug through debris from the Okhmatdyt paediatric hospital in a desperate search for survivors after the rare day-time bombardment, AFP
journalists on the scene saw.President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched dozens of missiles toward five towns and cities in southern
and eastern Ukraine as well as the capital.At least 37 people were killed, including three children, with more than 170 wounded, Zelensky
said.The strikes damaged nearly 100 buildings, including multiple schools and a maternity hospital, he added.The air force said air defense
systems downed 30 projectiles."It is necessary to shoot down Russian missiles
It is necessary to destroy the Russian combat aircraft on its bases
It is necessary to take strong steps that will not leave any security deficit," Zelensky said ahead of a NATO summit where arming Ukraine's
air defenses is expected to top the agenda.Zelensky called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the barrage
and urged Ukraine's allies to deliver "a stronger response" to Russia's attack.Following the strikes, U.S
President Joe Biden on Monday promised "new measures" to boost Ukraine's air defenses."Together with our allies, we will be announcing new
attackUN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the "abominable" Russian strikes, while the body's chief Antonio Guterres said attacking medical
facilities was "particularly shocking," according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.The United States denounced "another savage missile
attack on civilians," while the European Union slammed Moscow for its "ruthless" actions.France's foreign ministry called the bombardment of
a children's hospital "barbaric," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attack as "abhorrent" and Japan's government
spokesman "strongly condemned" the strike.Kyiv said the children's hospital had been struck by a Russian cruise missile with components
produced in NATO member countries and announced a day of mourning in the capital.Russia hit back claiming the extensive missile damage in
Kyiv was caused by Ukrainian air defence systems.Moscow said its forces had struck their "intended targets," which it added were only
defense industry and military installations.Medical staff acted quickly to move patients and personnel to the facility's basement after air
raid sirens rang out over Kyiv on Monday."For some reason, we always thought that Okhmatdyt was protected," said Nina, a 68-year-old
hospital employee."We were 100 percent sure that they would not hit here," she told AFP, describing the frantic rush as staff moved children
with IV drips to the bunker.Officials said the attack had also damaged several residential buildings and an office block in Kyiv where AFP
reporters saw cars on fire and shredded trees in charred courtyards.DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, said three of its
electrical substations had been destroyed or damaged in Kyiv
Russian strikes on electricity infrastructure have already halved Ukrainian generation capacity in recent weeks compared to one year
ago.Russian forces have repeatedly targeted the capital with massive barrages since invading Ukraine in February 2022, and the last major
attack on Kyiv with drones and missiles was last month.Must respond 'with force'The emergency services said 22 people were killed in Kyiv on
Monday, including at both medical facilities hit in the attack, and that another 72 had been wounded.In Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih,
which has been repeatedly targeted by Russian bombardment, the strikes killed at least 10 and wounded more than 41, officials there said.In
Dnipro, a city of around 1 million people in the same region, one person was killed and six more were wounded, the region's governor said,
when a high-rise residential building and petrol station were hit.And in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces have taken a
of around 60,000 people."This shelling targeted civilians, hit infrastructure, and the whole world should see today the consequences of
terror, which can only be responded to by force," the head of Ukraine's presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, wrote on social
media.Zelensky and other officials in Kyiv have been urging Ukraine's allies to send more air defense systems, including Patriots, to help
fend off deadly Russian aerial bombardment."Russia cannot claim ignorance of where its missiles are flying and must be held fully
accountable for all its crimes," Zelensky said in another post on social media.
