Children's hospital is blown up as Putin launches 'genocidal' missile strikes on multiple Ukraine cities on eve of NATO summit: At least 20 dead - with youngsters feared buried beneath medical centre rubble

Russian missiles person struck a children's infirmary successful Kyiv and killed astatine slightest 3 group elsewhere successful nan Ukrainian capital, authorities person said.

Several different cities were deed successful nan assault, pinch different Russian onslaught successful nan cardinal Ukrainian metropolis of Kryvyi Rih said to person killed astatine slightest 10 people.

The battle is nan biggest bombardment of Kyiv for respective months. Explosions rang retired and achromatic fume could beryllium seen rising from nan centre of nan city.

Pictures distributed by officials from nan children's aesculapian installation showed group digging done mounds of rubble, achromatic fume billowing complete a gutted building and aesculapian unit wearing blood-stained scrubs. 

The daylight attacks included Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, 1 of nan astir precocious Russian weapons, nan Ukrainian aerial unit said. The Kinzhal flies astatine 10 times nan velocity of sound, making it difficult to intercept. City buildings shook from nan blasts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had targeted 5 cities pinch much than 40 missiles of different types successful a 'genocidal' attack, adding that group were trapped nether nan rubble of nan children's hospital.

'There are group nether nan rubble, and nan nonstop number of casualties is still unknown. Right now, everyone is helping to clear nan rubble - doctors and mean people,' nan president wrote connected societal media. 

The onslaught struck Okhmatdyt children's infirmary successful Kyiv, Ukraine's biggest children's aesculapian facility. There was nary contiguous connection connected casualties there.

Other cities - notably Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slov'yansk and Krematorsk were besides deed successful a sadistic onslaught from dictator Vladimir Putin's forces that plainly impacted connected civilians.

In Kryvyi Rih, birthplace of Zelensky, 10 were reported killed, pinch 31 wounded.

The president had near connected a sojourn to Poland.

'Russian terrorists erstwhile again massively attacked Ukraine pinch missiles. Different cities: Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rig, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk,' Zelensky said, listing awesome civilians hubs successful nan southbound and eastbound of nan country. 

'More than 40 missiles of various types Residential buildings, infrastructure, and a children's infirmary person been damaged.'

Municipal officials said earlier that astatine slightest 7 group had been killed successful nan barrage that deed Kyiv. 

'Attack connected Ukraine astatine a clip erstwhile location are nan astir group connected nan streets. Crazy Russian terrorists,' posted Zelenskiy's main of unit Andriy Yermak.

'They hit nan cities, wherever location were galore people. They deed nan children's hospital. There are children. It is simply a panic that nan world must spot and respond to. 

'This is genocide,' he added.

Russian forces person many times targeted nan superior pinch monolithic barrages since Moscow invaded Ukraine successful February 2022, and nan past awesome onslaught connected Kyiv pinch drones and missiles was past month. 

One target appeared to beryllium an unfinished business centre adjacent nan Lukyanovskaya metro position successful nan centre of Kyiv.

In Krematorsk, nan Russian Armed Forces deed a machine-building plant, pinch a file of fume rising supra it.

In Kryvyi Rih nan administrative building of an business endeavor was hit.

"In Dnipro, a high-rise building and an endeavor were damaged. A work position was damaged. There are wounded," nan Dnipropetrovsk politician Sergiy Lysak said.

In nan eastbound Donetsk region, wherever Russian forces person taken a drawstring of villages successful caller weeks, nan location politician said 3 group were killed successful Pokrovsk - a municipality that had a pre-war organization of astir 60,000 people.

There was nary immedate remark connected nan strikes from nan Kremlin but it insists its forces do not target civilian infrastructure. 

The Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital successful Kyiv is celebrated astir Europe for its excellence.

The infirmary head Volodymyr Zhovnir said a rocket had deed 1 of his buildings.

They are organising nan removal and relocation of everyone successful nan premises.

A root told Ukrainian Pravda that location were victims successful nan hospital.

The debris was being cleared by rescuers who asked for soundlessness to perceive immoderate cries from anyone buried nether nan rubble.

Kyiv politician Vitali Klitschko urged residents to enactment successful shelters.

Zelensky and different officials successful Kyiv person been urging Ukraine's friends to nonstop much aerial defence systems, including Patriots, to nan war-battered state to thief fend disconnected fatal Russian aerial bombardments.

'Russia cannot declare ignorance of wherever its missiles are flying and must beryllium held afloat accountable for each its crimes,' Zelensky said successful different station connected societal media.

This is simply a breaking news story. More to follow...