Chilling pictures show mum and daughter before Putins missiles struck

Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to the Daily Star’s newsletter

Chilling pictures have shown a Ukrainian mum and her daughter moments before they were blown up by Russian president Vladimir Putin 's missiles.

The footage was aired as at least 20 people were killed and dozens more wounded after an attack on the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia.

In a haunting video the mother, named online as Irisha Dmitrieva , shared on Instagram, she smiled as she filmed herself and her young daughter, who was pushing a pram. The clip was shown yesterday (Thursday) at 9.38am local time (7.38 BST).

READ MORE: Bernie Ecclestone brands Zelensky a “comedian” in sick Vladimir Putin defence

The Russian missile struck the car park of a nine-storey office block at 10.50am local time, killing 20 people including the little girl in the video. Irisha is believed to have survived, although reports claimed her leg was blown off in the explosion.

Earlier pictures showed the mum holding her daughter, Liza, who was reported to have Down's Syndrome as well as arthritis in one leg. This year, Irisha posted on social media about her hopes of holding a birthday party for Liza for the first time in two years.

Her boss Irina Asman, the director of the Kartel publishing house, reported that Irisha was fighting for life, while her young child had been killed. She wrote on Facebook: "Today in Vinnytsia, our employee Irisha Dmitrieva, along with her little daughter, were at the epicentre of shelling.

"Her daughter died on the spot… Ira is in serious condition in intensive care. So much grief, so many tears. There is no strength anymore."

Three long-range missiles reportedly slammed into an office block and homes and set at least 50 vehicles on fire in broad daylight in Vinnytsia – far from the front line in the east of Ukraine. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said at least three children were among the dead after a Russian submarine in the Black Sea fired on the city.

One man at the scene screamed: "Scumbags! This is the centre of Vinnytsia. Bloody hell… this was a child and there is the mother." Footage at the scene showed thick black smoke rising from the strike.

Rescuers feared the death toll could rise as teams searched the rubble for victims. A senior regional emergency service official told Ukrainian television: "Unfortunately, there is probably no chance of finding anyone who survived under the rubble." A maternity hospital was also reportedly hit by the blast wave from the strike.

Vinnytsia is one of Ukraine's largest cities – with a population believed to be around 370,000 – and thousands of people from the east have fled there since the start of the war. The governor of the Vinnytsia region, Serhiy Borzov, said Ukrainian air defence systems shot down another four Russian missiles in the area.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: "There are wounded and dead, among them a small child – what is this, if not an open act of terrorism? Every day Russia is destroying civilians, killing Ukrainian children, and aiming missiles at civilian sites, where there is nothing linked to the military. They are not humans." Kremlin officials denied targeting civilian areas after the attack.

READ NOW:

  • Vladimir Putin 'using Cold War tractors' in Ukraine after running out of usable kit
  • Ukrainian refugee who ran off with Brit husband says homewrecker claim is 'bulls***'
  • Ukrainian mayor 'never sleeps in same place 2 nights in row' and 'only needs his gun'
  • Putin 'doesn't have a long life ahead of him' due to Illness, say spies in Kremlin
  • Russia unveils terrifying new missile as Putin's pal issues threat to West
  • Russia Ukraine war
  • Ukraine
  • Russia
  • Instagram

Source: Read Full Article