Russian missile strike kills child in west Ukraine, shelling intensifies in Kharkiv region

At least one boy was killed when a Russian missile strike allegedly targeted civilian infrastructure in the western Ukraine region of Ivano-Frankivsk, the prosecutors said on Friday (August 11). This is an infrequent attack in the western region.Ukrainian officials said that Russia used hypersonic missiles and hit areas near a military airfield.

In a statement, they said: "The missiles hit territory near a private house in the Kolomyia district, where a family with three children lived. An 8-year-old boy died as a result of the shelling. Information about other victims is currently being verified."

According to Svitlana Onyshchuk, who is the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk region military administration, the child had been taken to the hospital in critical condition, but doctors couldn't save him.

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Onyshchuk said that one missile crashed into the grounds of a family's home in the Kolomyia district, injuring several people including the boy, who died.

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media.

Russian ballistic missile strike hit a home in Ivano-Frankivsk region, a child died - Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine

An 8-year-old boy died as a result of the attack. Information about other victims is currently being checked.

Terrorist state continues terrorizing… pic.twitter.com/ZLqXLPnupi — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) August 11, 2023

Today a child was killed by a Russian rocket during the strike to a Ukrainian civilian building. It happened in Ivano-Frankivsk region — 1000 km away from the frontline.

Zero reasons for Ukrainians not to kill every fucking Russian on cursed Russian land. pic.twitter.com/K7xQi54bTM — Vyacheslav Rushnyk (@nemapovnovazhen) August 11, 2023

The air force said that air defences shot down one of the four Kinzhal missiles near the capital Kyiv as they hurtled towards western Ukraine hundreds of miles from the front.

On Telegram it said: "One X-47 (hypersonic) missile was destroyed within Kyiv region. The rest hit near the airfield. Civilian infrastructure was damaged, and one of the missiles hit a residential area."

Colonel Yuriy Ihnat of the Ukrainian Air Force said that the attack was directed at Ukrainian pilots who were preparing to travel to the West to train to fly F-16 fighter jets, which Kyiv believes will eventually be provided.

He said on television: "They (the pilots) will be trained on new equipment - the F-16 - and the enemy wanted to strike our young people, depriving us of the prospect of using the new Western equipment."

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Fighting intensifies in the Kharkiv region

Russia on Friday claimed that its forces had "improved" their offensive positions around two settlements near the town of Kupiansk in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region.

According to the Russian defence ministry, its forces had "improved the tactical situation" on the front line near Vilshana and Pershotravneve.

Separately, it said its forces had struck a temporary base for foreign mercenaries in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, without providing further details.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos

(With inputs from agencies)

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