Doctors among victims of Putin cruise missile attack on city

Vinnytsia, a city of 370,000 people 125 miles southwest of Kiev and far from any front lines in the conflict, was hit yesterday morning by three Russian cruise missiles fired from a submarine in the Black Sea.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike, which also hit an office building and damaged residential buildings, “an overt act of” terrorism”.

He accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians. Russia claims it only attacks military targets.

The rockets, which injured more than 100 people, also destroyed the Neuromed medical center, killing and injuring two staff members. doctorwas unveiled Friday.

Kateryna Hula, 24, the center’s administrator, and manager Tetyana Kharchenko were killed and pediatric neurologist Pavlo Kovalchuk and neurologist Nataliya Falshtynska were in “serious” condition.

Other deaths included Evhen Kovalenko, 25, sound producer for Ukrainian singer Roxolana, who performed in the city last night.

Meanwhile, a friend said Irina Dmitrieva, 33, whose four-year-old daughter Liza was killed in the attack, had undergone surgery for life-threatening lung and liver injuries. President Zelensky’s wife Olena said she had known Liza, one of three children killed in the Russian strike.

“We were shocked to see a photo of a fallen pram from Vinnytsia. And when I read the news, I realized I knew this girl,” she said. “We met while shooting a video for the Christmas break.” US embassy in Kiev warned all Americans to leave Ukraine immediately amid so great fear

public gatherings “could serve as Russian military targets anywhere in Ukraine”.

As international outcry over the latest attack mounted, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen condemned Russia’s “cruel and unjust war” for taking its toll “on the whole world”.