Russian missile strike hits German consulate in Kyiv

The building that houses a German consulate in Kyiv was hit during Russian missile strikes, Berlin’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

A ministry spokesman added that the building has not been in use since war broke out.

“No work has gone on in the building for months,” a foreign ministry spokesperson told a briefing, adding that the German government was in contact with officials in Kyiv to assess the extent of the damage to the site.

Regardles, the fact that a foreign government’s consulate building has been struck in an attack is notable.

Germany condemned the Russian strikes carried out in the capital and across Ukraine in several major cities. At least 10 people have been killed and some 60 injured.

Separately at the same government briefing, the defence ministry said Germany expected to deliver an air defence system to Ukraine very soon and deliver three more next year.

Berlin will deliver the first of four IRIS-T SLM air defence systems to Ukraine within days, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said on Monday.

“The renewed missile fire on Kyiv and the many other cities show how important it is to supply Ukraine with air defence systems quickly,” Lambrecht said in a statement.

“Russia’s attacks with missiles and drones terrorise the civilian population in particular. That is why we are now providing support especially with air defence weapons.”

Russia pounded cities across Ukraine during rush hour on Monday morning, killing at least 10 people and knocking out power and heat supplies, in apparent revenge strikes after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a blast on Russia’s bridge to Crimea to be a terrorist attack.