Russian forces fired missiles on civilian buildings early Friday in the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, killing at least 21 people, according to authorities.
The missiles were fired from planes in the Black Sea and hit a nine-story apartment building, Sergei Bratchuk, a spokesman for Odesa's military administration claimed.
Authorities reported 30 injuries from the missile strike. Three more children were recovered from the rubble, and at least two of the dead were children. The burned-out remains of buildings in the little village of Serhiivka were seen in a video of the attack taken just before dawn.
Ukrainian officials regard the Russian missile strike as retaliation as Moscow's troops were forced to pull out from Snake Island, a small rocky island south of Odesa, according to a report from USA Today.
Ukraine Claims Russia Now Targeting Civilians
For Moscow, the pulling out of troops from Snake Island on Thursday is a "gesture of goodwill" in response to allegations that it is preventing grain exports from Ukrainian ports. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky describes the event as a strategic victory for his forces, as per a Reuters report.
Zelensky admitted that "it does not yet guarantee security" and it does not assure that "the enemy will not come back."
"But this significantly limits the actions of the occupiers. Step by step, we will push them back from our sea, our land, and our sky," he said in his nightly address.
The missile attack on civilian buildings happened four days after Moscow fired missiles at a crowded shopping center in central Ukraine that killed 19 people and resulted in a massive fire.
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Kyiv claimed that, in recent days, Moscow has drastically increased its long-range attacks on civilian sites distant from the front lines, which it has labeled as a war crime. But Russia claims to have been targeting military facilities.
Thousands of civilians have died since Russia started attacking Ukraine on Feb. 24. Ukraine views the invasion as an unprovoked act of aggression, while Russia says it is a "special operation" to expel nationalists.
Ukraine's EU Membership Is 'Within Reach'
In other news, per VOA, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, informed the Ukrainian parliament on Friday that membership in the EU was "within reach" but urged them to move forward with anti-corruption reforms.
Via video link, Von der Leyen acknowledged Ukraine's efforts in curbing corruption, saying that its lawmakers "have created an impressive anti-corruption machine."
Von der Leyen emphasized that Ukraine's fight against the ongoing Russian aggression and its efforts to be "reunited with our European family" had the full support of Brussels and the EU member states.
President Zelensky stated that the European Union's formal acceptance of Ukraine's application to join the 27-nation bloc marks a new chapter in their shared history.
The Ukrainian head of state remarked: "We made a journey of 115 days to candidate status and our journey to membership shouldn't take decades. We should make it down this road quickly."
Meanwhile, Western elites, including U.S. officials, attended the NATO summit in Madrid. United States President Joe Biden reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine militarily and financially.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office stated that the additional $1 billion in aid from Britain would be used to purchase air defense systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and essential supplies for the Ukrainian military.
