Kiyv:  At least 20 people were killed and about 90 others were injured by Russian missiles that struck a city in central Ukraine on Thursday, according to Ukrainian authorities. The president of the nation referred to the assault as "an open act of terrorism" against civilians in non-military areas. 

Three missiles reportedly struck an office building and nearby residential structures in Vinnytsia, which is situated 268 kilometres (167 miles) southwest of the capital, Kyiv, according to the national police of Ukraine. Three children were killed when Kalibr cruise missiles fired from a Russian submarine in the Black Sea struck the city, according to a Telegram message posted by Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office. The strike has not been confirmed by the Russian military. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, suggested that the attack was planned specifically to target civilians. The strike took place as representatives of the governments of about 40 nations gathered in The Hague to talk about coordinating inquiries into and trials for possible war crimes committed in Ukraine.

"Russia is killing Ukrainian children, destroying the civilian population, and firing missiles at civilian targets every day. where no military exists (targets). If not an outright act of terrorism, what is it? In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy.

One of the biggest cities in Ukraine is Vinnytsia, which has a population of 370,000. Since the start of the conflict, thousands of people have fled to the east of Ukraine, where Russia has concentrated its offensive.

According to officials, the missiles started a fire that quickly spread to engulf 50 cars in a nearby parking lot. People were reported missing, according to Ukrainian police. Serhiy Borzov, the regional governor of Vinnytsia, reported that Ukrainian air defence systems shot down four more missiles over the region. 

The president's office reported that five civilians had died and eight more had been injured in Russian attacks over the previous day before the missiles hit Vinnytsia.

Early on Thursday, a missile struck several buildings in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, inflicting one injury. At least five city residents were killed by a missile attack on Wednesday.

Following their takeover of the nearby Luhansk, Russian forces continued their artillery and missile assaults in eastern Ukraine, focusing mainly on the province of Donetsk. At the start of the month, Russian forces captured Lysychansk, the last significant centre of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk. 

In order to identify enemy positions and direct artillery strikes, both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries are attempting to replenish their depleted stocks of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Both sides are searching for sophisticated, jamming-resistant drones that could give them a decisive advantage in combat. According to Ukrainian officials, there is a "immense" demand for this technology, and crowdfunding initiatives are being used to raise the money needed to make purchases.

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