In the Sumy region, which borders Russia, a rehabilitation centre for orphans was struck by Russian munitions, local officials said.
“There were no children in the institution at that time. However, 18 residents of nearby houses were injured, including six children, nine women and three men,” the local prosecutor’s office reported.
Polish response
Poland scrambled its air force to potentially intercept Russian missiles launched in its direction.
The jets were launched after Warsaw had called on its Nato allies to help protect the skies over Ukraine with cross-border air-defence systems.
“Membership in Nato does not trump each country’s responsibility for the protection of its own airspace – it’s our own constitutional duty,” Radoslaw Sikorski, the country’s foreign minister, told the Financial Times.
“I’m personally of the view that, when hostile missiles are on a course of entering our airspace, it would be legitimate self-defence (to strike them) because once they do cross into our airspace, the risk of debris injuring someone is significant.”