On March 22, 2023, Russian air strikes hit several Ukrainian cities, killing at least nine people and injuring many more. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attacks, stating that they showed Moscow was not interested in peace. The strikes targeted two dormitories and a college in Rzhyshchiv, which resulted in the death of eight people and injury of seven others. One person was rescued from the site, while four were believed to be trapped under rubble. Rescue operations were ongoing as of Wednesday night. The attack left a gaping hole in the top floor of a five-storey dormitory, and a pile of rubble marked where part of another building had stood. An ambulance driver who went to the scene was among the dead.
Later on the same day, two residential buildings were damaged in a missile strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. One person was killed, and 33 others were taken to the hospital for treatment. The Ukrainian military reported that it had knocked out 16 of the 21 Iranian-made Shahed drones fired by Russia.
Zelenskiy took to Twitter to express his frustration with the attacks, describing them as “bestial savagery.” He accused Moscow of ordering the strikes despite Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia, which ended on Wednesday. Russia invaded Ukraine 13 months ago and has carried out waves of air attacks, claiming to target infrastructure as part of a “special military operation” to remove what it says is a threat to its own security. However, Ukraine and its allies accuse Moscow of an unprovoked war to grab territory.
Despite the devastation caused by the strikes, police chief Andrii Nebytov noted that the majority of people in the targeted dormitories were saved because they were in bomb shelters. Witnesses described hearing multiple explosions throughout the night, with one resident reporting that she heard the first explosion at 2 a.m. A Rzhyshchiv College employee stated that the students knew what to do after the explosions occurred and were able to seek shelter.
Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat suggested that Russia likely carried out the Zaporizhzhia attack with high-speed rockets fired from the Tornado-S multiple rocket launch system. The situation remains tense as rescue operations continue and tensions between Ukraine and Russia remain high.
