Russian missiles destroy buildings on the Dnipro

The death toll from the Russian attack 48 hours ago on a residential building on the Dnipro in Ukraine has risen to 40, one of the heaviest since the start of the war. And it has to be even heavier. As usual, the Kremlin denied responsibility for the massacre, blaming Ukraine: Russia’s presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, spoke of a “tragedy” that may have been caused by shelling from Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses. In contrast, Sweden’s presidency in the European Union denounced Russia’s “war crimes”. As of Monday, the fate of 29 people was still unknown. Point in the picture.

Achievement: Olivier JUSZCZAK

• Ukrainians celebrate the Orthodox New Year (in the Julian calendar) on Saturday, a popular holiday where children are traditionally given sweets.

• The attack reached the entrance of a nine-story building, much of which was smoldering rubble.

• “Holiday Saturday – and the Pursuit of Terror (Russia). While Ukrainian children are enjoying the sweets received yesterday, the Russians are attacking residential buildings,” commented First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.

• A video posted by Ukraine’s rescue service on Facebook and Telegram shows rescuers excavating the rubble of the Dnipro building overnight.

• Power outages are also affecting large parts of the country after new Russian attacks on electricity production facilities, according to Ukrainian authorities.

• The strike that destroyed apartment buildings on the Dnipro followed the massive bombing campaign Moscow has been carrying out since October against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

• Facing a hail of missiles and the threat of a new major Russian strike, the West is increasing their military aid to Ukraine. London and Warsaw now plan to supply it with tanks.

• Vladimir Putin for his part denounced the increase in shipments of Western arms to Ukraine, the Kremlin vowing that the tanks promised to kyiv would “burn” on the battlefield.

• After its victory in the fall, Kyiv said it still needed heavy, lightly armored tanks, long-range missile systems, and anti-aircraft defenses to retake all territory occupied by Russian forces in eastern and southern Ukraine.

• Moscow also denied, as usual in these cases, any responsibility for the massacre on the Dnipro, blaming Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov spoke of a “tragedy” that could have been caused by Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire.

• Cranes are still in action to bring rescuers to damaged and inaccessible apartments, or to lift concrete slabs.

• Since the start of rescue operations, 39 people have been rescued from collapsed buildings.

• In the rubble, rescue teams are searching for 29 people who are still missing, authorities said.

• On Monday, nearly 48 hours after a missile ripped through a building in Victory Quay in Dnipro, eastern Ukraine, 40 bodies were found.

• The Swedish presidency in the European Union denounced Russia’s “war crimes”.

• In this secluded place, people put flowers and stuffed animals in memory of the victims. Other Dnipro residents donate clothing or blankets to collection points set up by humanitarian workers.