Russian missiles hit a military training facility in western Ukraine close to the Polish border that had been used regularly by NATO before the invasion.
The strike, which comes after Russia warned that convoys of Western military supplies for Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets, raised new concerns about the conflict potentially spilling over Ukraine’s borders.
Initial reports suggest around eight missiles hit the International Peacekeeping and Security Center near Yavoriv, in the Lviv region of western Ukraine, the city’s mayor Andriy Sadovy said on Sunday. The attack killed 35 people and wounded 134, Lviv region governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on Telegram.
“This was a strike by air-to-surface missiles,” Kozytskyi said earlier during a video briefing. Ukraine’s military was able to intercept some Russian missiles launched at the center in Yavoriv, he said, reiterating calls for the West to enforce a no-fly zone. More than 30 missiles were launched from the planes, he said.
Russia has been striking targets in western Ukraine more frequently in recent days, including bombing several airports on Friday. The Russian military also continues to target sites around Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and fierce fighting has been reported there.
The Yavoriv training center site holds particular significance for NATO and the U.S., which held training missions there as recently as early February.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Saturday warned that Western convoys of weapons deliveries to Ukraine are “legitimate targets,” stepping up its threats amid a major increase in military supplies to Kyiv’s forces.
The U.S. Authorized another $200 million in military aid for Ukraine, including “further defensive assistance” to help the country “meet the armored, airborne, and other threats it is facing,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday.