Major Russian missile attack in Kiev injures 53 people

Kiev, Dec 13 (IANS) At least 53 people were injured in a major Russian missile attack on Kiev on Wednesday, the Ukrainian capital's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Eighteen adults and two children were hospitalised, while the rest received medical treatment on the site, Xinhua news agency quoted Klitschko as saying in a Telegram post.

A children's hospital, an apartment building, private houses and cars were damaged by the airstrike in eastern Dniprovskyi and southeastern Darnytskyi districts, the Mayor confirmed.

The Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement that it had intercepted all 10 ballistic missiles fired against Kiev.

The air strike marked the second attack on the Ukrainian capital this week.

Wednesday's attack comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky wrapped up his third visit to Washington in a last-ditch effort to win new military aid from the US Congress before the currently approved amount runs dry.

On Tuesday, he had a session with US senators behind closed doors and sat down with Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who did not even make a public appearance with the Ukrainian President.

His welcome at the White House was decidedly low-key, with minimal pomp and ceremony.

While Democrats have been willing to spend more money on border security as part of a $110 billion package of military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Republicans want fundamental reform to the way undocumented migrants claiming political asylum are processed by the US government.