The UK has become the first Western power to supply Ukraine with modern tanks as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to “intensify” his country’s support on the battlefield.
Mr Sunak offered Britain’s Challenger 2 tanks, which reportedly outmatch any Russian versions, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped more countries would follow.
President Zelensky said the major move would “not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners”.
The ramping up of support comes as Russia pummelled Ukraine in a series of shocking sneak attacks, using ballistic missiles that evaded detection.
Ukraine citizens did not get the usual air raid siren warnings as the hypersonic weapons smashed a number of cities.
In one deadly surprise hit, a nine-storey residential apartment block was demolished in the city of Dnipro, killing at least five people.
Fifteen people were rescued after being buried when the tower was reduced to rubble, with smoke billowing into the sky.
“Tragedy. I’ve gone to the site…. We will be going through the rubble all night,” said Borys Filatov, mayor of the rocket-making city on the Dnipro river.
At least 27 people, including six children, were also wounded in the attack, with more people still trapped under the rubble, the regional governor said.
Pictures showed firefighters putting out a blaze around the carcasses of some cars. A broad chunk of the apartment block was missing. The exterior of the rest of the building was badly damaged.
Wounded people were carried away on stretchers in footage circulated by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.
Rescuers work on a residential building destroyed after a missile strike in Dnipro. Photo: Getty
Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said Russia’s missiles had likely been fired along a high, looping ballistic trajectory from the north, which would explain why the air raid siren did not sound.
Ukraine is not able to identify and shoot down ballistic missiles, he told the Ukrainska Pravda online outlet.
The attack on Saturday came hours after a smaller-scale missile attack hit critical infrastructure in Kyiv and the eastern city of Kharkiv.
No one was reported hurt then, but missile debris caused a fire in one area and houses were damaged outside the capital, officials said.
Residential infrastructure was also hit in the village of Kopyliv just outside the capital. The windows and roofs of 18 privately owned houses were shattered or damaged by the blast, Oleksiy Kuleba, the regional governor, said.
Britain has promised its Challenger 2 modern battle tanks. Photo: Getty
In Ukraine’s northeast, two S-300 missiles struck the city of Kharkiv near the Russian border early on Saturday, according to regional governor Oleg Synehubov.
Vital energy facilities across the country were also targeted, with Ukraine’s Energy Minster German Galushchenko warning the coming days would be “difficult.”
