‘A Sick and Cynical Creature’ – War in Ukraine Update for March 26

• A teenage girl and two pregnant women among the injured in Kyiv
• US says it gave Kremlin advanced intel on possible concert attack
• About 300,000 without power in Odesa after similar missile strike
• Two bombs fall on high school in Ukraine's Sumy border region

At least 10 injured from missile debris falling on Kyiv that knocked out a school’s roof

The Monday morning attack on Kyiv that damaged the roof of a school, among other buildings and cars, injured at least 10 people, AFP reported. It was the third aerial attack on the capital in five days.

The military said that two high-speed ballistic missiles were intercepted, but that falling debris was responsible for destroyed property and injuries. Emergency crews cleared the scattered metal and concrete throughout the day, and Kyiv’s mayor reported that a teenage girl and two pregnant women were among the wounded.  

According to the chief of the capital’s military administration, Sergiy Popko, the missiles were launched from Crimea.

President Volodymyr Zelensky underscored the need for more air defenses.

“We reiterate that Ukraine requires more air defense systems, which provide safety for our cities and save lives. All of us in the world who respect and protect life need to stop this terror,” he posted to X/Twitter.

The head of Odesa’s military administration, meanwhile, reported that three women were injured in the southern region by a missile strike on Monday. As of 7 p.m., about 300,000 residents were without electricity, as the Russian barrage knocked out the local power grid.

State Dept spokesman says US gave Putin a “private warning” about ISIS security threat

“We did offer warnings to the government of Russia in early March about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow, specifically potentially targeting large gatherings of people, including concerts,” State Dept. spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press conference on Monday.

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Two Kyiv Hospitals Evacuate Over Feared Russian Strikes

Kyiv officials announced evacuation of two hospitals after KGB chief in Moscow-allied Belarus said on national television that the buildings hosted military personnel “hiding behind sick children.”

He said Washington had given the Russians a “private warning” based on intelligence and surveillance data. Miller explained that this was part of the Duty to Warn agreement “where other parties, be it allies or adversaries, shall be warned of terror threats,” state media service Ukrinform reported.

The State Department had listed in its regular warnings and alerts on March 7 that Americans in Russia should stay clear of gatherings, specifically mentioning “concert halls.” On Friday, more than 130 people were killed as gunmen opened fire on a suburban concert hall in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin was quick to blame the West, specifically the US and Ukraine, for collusion in the attacks.

The United States had similarly warned the Iranian government about a potential terrorist attack by ISIS, Miller said, which also unfolded, as warned, in Iran after the intelligence sharing.

Zelensky responded to Putin’s accusations again on Monday, posting:

“Today, Putin was talking to himself again, and it was again broadcast on television. Again, he accuses Ukraine. A sick and cynical creature. Everyone is a terrorist to him, except for himself, although he has been fueled by terror for two decades already.”

No injuries were reported in Russian bombing of a school in the Sumy region

The prosecutor’s office of the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine said that Russian forces dropped two glide bombs on a high school in the Okhtyrka district on Monday.

“The investigation shows that on March 25, 2024, at about [4:20 p.m.] the occupiers dropped two guided aerial bombs on the civilian infrastructure of Velyka Pysarivka [neighborhood] of the Okhtyrka district in violation of international law. The enemy attack damaged the building of a secondary school.”

Civilians have been evacuating the border region as Russian aerial bombardments have terrorized residents over the past week especially.