After Russian attack on Ukrainian barracks, rescue operations continue in Mykolaiv

Rescue operations are still underway in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on Saturday morning at the site of a missile attack on a barracks housing soldiers, regional chief Vitalli Kim said.

Dozens of soldiers were killed in the attack by Russian forces, according to journalists from the Swedish affiliate of CNN Expressen that they were on site.

Correspondent Magnus Falkehed and photojournalist Niclas Hammarström reported that at around 6 am local time on Friday, “two Russian fighter jets dropped what appeared to be five bombs”, destroying several buildings at the barracks.

Speaking on her Telegram channel on Saturday, Vatalli Kim said she cannot yet provide information on deaths as she awaits official data.

Rescue teams at the scene are using shovels and bare hands to free survivors from the rubble of buildings. In a video shot by CNN Expressen, a Ukrainian soldier is seen being pulled alive from the wreckage.

According to CNN Expressen, one of the surviving soldiers, Serhil, 54, was sleeping in the barracks opposite the attack. “Of the approximately 200 that were there, I think about 90% did not survive,” he tells Expressen.

“Glass flew everywhere. I prayed to God that I had time to take shelter before more bombs came. There are always more bombs,” Nikita, a 22-year-old Ukrainian soldier, told Expressen.

Mykolaiv, a southern city along the Black Sea, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks.

The city is seen as a strategic target for Russian ground forces in any move to capture Ukraine’s third-largest city, Odessa, which lies further west along the coast.