Summary:
- Ukrainian city of Chernihiv hit by deadly missile strike, resulting in casualties and destruction.
- Netherlands and Denmark to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets in response to Russian aggression.
- CBS news crew witnesses aftermath of missile strike, highlighting civilian impact.
- Six-year-old child among the victims, raising concerns about the human toll of the conflict.
The Netherlands and Denmark will provide the country with up to 61 F-16 fighter jets. Ukrainian President Zelensky said in one of the jets in Denmark yesterday as the two NATO members confirmed this plan. Now this comes as Zelensky vows to retaliation for a deadly Russian attack on a city in northern Ukraine.
Deborah Pada and a CBS news crew were there just moments after this missile hit a theater. She's now in Kiev, we're happy to say. Deborah, good morning to you. Listen, Deb, I saw the video this morning and it scares me to think what could have happened.
Timing made such a difference for you and your crew. I'm glad you're okay. It certainly did. Thank you, Gare. Well, good morning to you. It's believed in fact that Russia may have been targeting a drone exhibition in the city, but as usual, it is civilians who bore the brunt of that attack. The moment a Russian missile plunged into the hearts of Chernigov, striking the city centre just as our CBS news team was driving towards it.
This is the very building we were heading for just minutes before we arrived. It was hit by a massive explosion. The rocket slammed into this historic theater and tore through the main square where worshippers had been attending church. But the danger was not over. We had to abruptly stop an interview following an urgent warning. Another attack was imminent. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
We've been told a second round of missiles is on the way. We need to get out of here as fast as we can. The threat failed to materialize, but the terror lingered. There were so many injured, Red Cross worker Andrey Aschenko told us. We try to save lives and it's bad because many people die very much bleeding. Oksana and her family were in this bus when the missile hit. All I could think of was my children, she said.
We lay on top of them to protect them. They were just dead bodies around us. Their injuries were minor. The emotional ones far deeper. Nearby rescue workers grimly loaded bodies into a waiting van. The youngest victim, a six-year-old child, little Sophia, whose future was blown up just days before she was due to start school for the very first time. And the Deputy Defense Minister responsible for procuring weapons for Ukraine has told CBS News that if this country already had F-16 fighter jets, that missile strike on Chernihiv could have been stopped.
Dana. So much lost, so many wondering still why. Deborah, thank you very much.