Photo Courtesy: Ukraine Ministry of Interior X (formerlyTwitter) page

Ukraine's Interior Ministry said five people died when a Russian missile struck the heart of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Saturday.

The attack left 37 others, including children, injured.

The Ministry said 11 children were among the injured people.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on X which showed the extent of damage caused due to the strike.

He wrote: "Today, a Russian missile hit the heart of Chernihiv. A square, a university, and a theater. Russia turned an ordinary Saturday into a day of pain and loss. There are casualties. My condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one. All services are working on the site. Rescuers, police, doctors."

Ukraine has welcomed the US government's approval to transfer F-16 fighter jets from Netherlands and Denmark to the war-torn nation, giving a fresh impetus to Kyiv in the ongoing war against Russia.

This is what it means to live next to a terrorist state. This is what we are uniting the entire world against.



Today, a Russian missile hit the heart of Chernihiv. A square, a university, and a theater. Russia turned an ordinary Saturday into a day of pain and loss. There are… pic.twitter.com/AMgXCVfR7h — Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 19, 2023

Welcoming the US decision, Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov wrote on X: "Great news from our friends in the United States!There is a green light for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver F-16s to Ukraine after our pilots complete their training."

"Ukraine has proven that the impossible is indeed possible. Our military has proven it is filled with fast learners," he said.

"We will soon prove that Ukraine’s victory is inevitable. Thank you to all our partners and friends in the United States, the Netherlands, and Denmark," the Minister said.

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra earlier confirmed the development and posted on X: "We welcome Washington's decision to pave the way for sending #F16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine. Many thanks to @SecBlinken for the good and swift cooperation. Now, we will further discuss the subject with our European partners."

He said the move marks a major milestone for Ukraine to defend its people and country.

In May, a senior Russian minister had said providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets would be a “colossal risk” for western nations,

According to Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass as quoted by The Guardian, the country’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko,had said: “We see that western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario. It involves colossal risks for themselves."