Lviv mayor accuses Russia of genocide as missiles strike city

Russia has unleashed a barrage of long-range missiles against Ukraine, in what analysts described as a “softening up” exercise before a major military push by Moscow to conquer the eastern Donbas region.

Four Russian rockets smashed into the western city of Lviv on Monday, killing seven people and injuring at least 11. Three hit military infrastructure. But the fourth appeared to have missed its target and landed in a car repair workshop.

The mayor of Lviv accused the Kremlin of genocide after the attack and said there were no longer any “safe” or “unsafe” areas left in Ukraine.

Andriy Sadovyi said: “What we see today is genocide. It’s a deliberate action by the aggressor to kill peaceful civilians. All our cities and villages are in the same situation.”

Russia claimed its strikes were conducted against exclusively military targets. The attack came amid expectations of a large-scale offensive by Moscow over the coming days to try to seize the administrative borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Speaking at a press conference, Sadovyi said one of the enemy rockets struck a Lviv garage and tyre repair workshop, killing four people. Others were injured including a child, with two adults critically hurt. Nearby windows were blown out including in a school, he said.

Maksym Kozytskyy, the head of Lviv’s regional military administration, said the strikes were part of a “cynical and inhuman” pattern by the Russian government and its military.

They were trying to intimidate Ukraine by going after civilians, the mayor said, adding: “Look at what’s going on in Mariupol. Thousands of innocent people were killed. What we have seen in Bucha and Hostomel is horrible.”