Russia hits Ukraine central city Dnipro with missile strikes

Three Russian airstrikes early Friday in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed at least one person and hit near a kindergarten building and an apartment complex.  

Ukraine warned last weekend that Russian forces were starting to encircle Dnipro, which has a population of about one million people, Reuters reported. The city is a major industrial hub and Ukraine’s fourth-largest city.

Russia struck a nuclear plant in Enerhoder, a city along the Dnipro River, last weekend. A United Nations watchdog said no radiation was released from the attack. 

The airstrikes in Dnipro are among several Russia carried out against Ukraine Friday, as they also hit near the Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk military airfields. 

The news comes as President Biden is expected to call for an end to Russia’s “Permanent Normal Trade Relations” (PNTR) status Friday, which would allow for higher tariffs on Russian goods and an opportunity to further isolate Russia economically. Biden also announced a ban on imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal earlier this week.