he alarm started at 02:06 AM this night. Later, the city was shaken by a series of loud explosions. A Russian missile hit a residential building and a critical infrastructure object.
A resident of this building on Stryiska Street tells us:
«I realized that there would be an explosion, so I told everyone to get down to the ground, but I didn’t have time to do so myself. The impact threw me out of the building onto the road.»
The Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, soon announced that «four people have been injured as a result of the missile strike. The number is increasing.»
«Unfortunately, I couldn’t evacuate everyone from the building,» the resident continues. «After the initial impact hit people, the doors got jammed, and they couldn’t leave their apartments. So we had to break windows and doors to get them out. Then there was a second explosion, and the ceiling collapsed. We were unable to rescue one woman...»
Rescue workers continue to clear the debris. Two buildings are in critical condition. As of 8 a.m., there have been four confirmed fatalities, with the number of injured rising to 40.
While cleaning his car from the wreckage, the man emphasizes:
«Ruskies, you bastards. You’ll die soon, we’ll shoot all of you.»
There is no apartment left. The photos are all that remains of it
«We were not here when we heard the explosions. Later on, we read on social media that it happened on Striyska Street. My husband’s sister was here. They still can’t find her – she’s trapped under the debris,» Lyudmyla tells us, tears streaming down her face.
«The only thing left from the apartment is the photos that the rescuers brought us.»
The children are looking at the saved photos
Later, the Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Russians had launched missiles from the Black Sea waters. «Kalibr» cruise missiles were launched from surface ships and submarines. Several missile groups were detected, initially heading north using the terrain and the Dnieper River channel, and then abruptly changing course to the west. As a result of the air defense operational activities, seven out of ten «Kalibr» missiles were successfully destroyed.
Another resident of the destroyed building, Iryna, says that she was inside her apartment during the explosion. She first saw a flash, and then heard the explosion itself. At that moment, she was in the hallway.
«I was with my dogs. It seemed like we were in a part of the apartment that was relatively safe. But then there was an explosion that shattered all the windows, and glass flew into the apartment. Everything was covered in glass and dust. My goal was to get out of the apartment as quickly as possible, but the doors got jammed, and I couldn’t get out from the inside. That’s when people came to help. I threw them the key, and they opened the door for me.»
Iryna
There were only five people in the shelter
Most of the residents in the building hit by the missile did not take shelter. Unfortunately, only five people were in the shelter.
«On 66 Stryiska Street, there is a large shelter. It accommodated 5 people. Most of the residents in the affected building did not go to the shelter,» said Andriy Sadovyi.
The head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maxym Kozitsky, stated that the shelter is large and in good condition.
«In this building, there is a shelter, but when I woke up, I was unsure whether to go there or not. I decided to choose a safe spot in the apartment to avoid going down with my dogs. I saved myself and my pets,» said Iryna, one of the residents.
Natalia and Ihor, residents of the building, said that there is a good basement near their place, but in panic, they didn’t consider where to flee, so they ran into the yard.
«The first explosion rang out, and we jumped to our feet. The first thing I did was go look for our cat. That’s how I saved my life because when the second blast occurred, I was actually searching for the pet under the bed, and the glass only fell on my back.»
Natalia says that her husband was shouting, «Quick, quick, leave that cat already!» But they managed to find the cat and save themselves as well.
Natalia and Ihor’s cat
Natalia and Ihor
In total, about a thousand apartments were affected by the explosions tonight. Rescue teams continue to clear the debris.
What is known about the building hit by the missile?
These structures form a complex along Stryiska Street, spanning from numbers 50 to 76V. Referred to as the «City Buildings,» they occupy the intersection of Akademika Sakharova Street and Stryiska Street, and are recognized as a local architectural heritage site.
The design of this residential complex in the style of early functionalism was developed in 1925 by Lviv architect Michał Ryba. Construction began in 1926 and was completed in 1930.
The first residents of the complex, which was named «City Buildings» among Lviv residents, were professors and lecturers of Lviv Polytechnic.
The complex consists of 16 four-story buildings arranged around an enclosed inner courtyard. The windows here are small, rectangular, or semi-circular. Buildings No. 50, 56, 64, and 76, located at the corners, have rounded floor plans, and their facades, divided horizontally by lintels, are almost devoid of decoration.
How is the world and Ukraine reacting to this attack?
«I strongly condemn the Russian attack that targeted the civilian population in Lviv,» said Council of Europe Secretary General Pejčinović-Burić. She promised that «the day of accountability will come for those who committed these horrific acts.»
Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky expressed his condolences. His comment was published today, July 6, on the Facebook page of the Embassy of Israel in Ukraine.
«Deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the night-time Russian attack on Lviv, and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured,» commented Michael Brodsky.
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink also responded to the strike. She stated on Twitter that Washington would not stand aside and would continue to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s counteroffensive had been ‘slowed down’ by the strengthened Russian defenses, and he wished Western arms supplies had allowed him to start the offensive ‘much earlier’.
«In some areas of the country, the military cannot even think about starting an attack because they lack the ‘appropriate weaponry’,» said the President.
So, perhaps the insufficient quantity of necessary weapons and air defense systems could also be a reason for the missiles destroying civilian infrastructure, hitting critical infrastructure, and claiming the lives of innocent people in Lviv?
Sofiya Shavranska
Iryna Davosyr
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media hub, which hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.
