At least five people were killed in Ukraine on Tuesday after an airstrike targeted Kyiv’s central TV broadcasting antenna and the country’s main Holocaust memorial – soon after Russia had warned residents to flee their homes.
The strikes, which crippled the country’s TV stations, also injured five people, Ukraine’s State Service for Emergency Situations said.
Harrowing footage captured the moment the huge TV antenna erupted into a ball of flames.
The missile attack also targeted the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial – the site where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed within 48 hours in 1941 as the city was under Nazi occupation, officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks, tweeting: “To the world: what is the point of saying «never again» for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating…”
Dmytro Kuleba, the country’s foreign minister, added the attacks were “evil and barbaric.”
“Kyiv TV tower, which has just been hit by a Russian missile, is situated on the territory of Babyn Yar. On September 29-30, 1941, Nazis killed over 33 thousand Jews here. 80 years later, Russian Nazis strike this same land to exterminate Ukrainians,” Kuleba tweeted.
Ukrainian television stations stopped broadcasting just moments after local media first reported the explosions at the Kyiv TV tower, which carries both television and radio broadcasts.
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The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said it would take some time for backup broadcasts to come online – and Ukrainians were warned that Russia might try spreading disinformation through counterfeit broadcasts in the meantime.
“The enemy can spread fakes to destabilize the situation,” the Ministry said.
The attack on Tuesday came as a massive column of Russian armor continued to push for the capital city. As of midday Tuesday, Russian forces were within 17 miles of Kyiv’s city center.
Russia’s defense ministry had earlier said it was planning to strike targets in Kyiv used by Ukraine’s security services.
Without giving specific locations, the Russian ministry urged residents to evacuate their homes.
Russian forces have stepped up the intensity of their artillery attacks in recent days, and begun using heavier weapons.
With Post wires
