<p>Russian missile strikes hit residential buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Sunday, burying some people under rubble and hospitalising at least four, the city's mayor said.</p>.<p>Four explosions were heard at around 6:30 am (0330 GMT), half an hour after air raid sirens sounded in the city, which had not come under Russian bombardment for nearly three weeks.</p>.<p>The missiles struck just hours before the start of a G7 summit in Germany and prompted calls from Ukraine for a stronger response to the Russian invasion.</p>.<p>The top three floors of an around 10-storey building in the Shevchenkivsky neighbourhood were completely destroyed and several fires broke out, spewing out thick smoke.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/ukraines-severodonetsk-fully-occupied-by-russian-army-mayor-1121490.html">Ukraine's Severodonetsk 'fully occupied' by Russian army: Mayor</a></strong></p>.<p>Several hours later, firefighters were still struggling to control two blazes.</p>.<p>Four people were hospitalised, including a seven-year-old girl who lived on the ninth floor and was rescued from the rubble, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.</p>.<p>AFP reporters witnessed the girl's mother being rescued, a process that took several hours.</p>.<p>The mother was trapped under a concrete slab, according to rescuers.</p>.<p>Authorities described her as a Russian citizen around the age of 30, who was subsequently taken to hospital in a serious condition.</p>.<p>Another missile hit a nearby kindergarten, apparently without causing any casualties.</p>.<p>Klitschko said that rescue operations were ongoing and warned that the toll from the strikes could still rise.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/joe-bidens-mission-in-europe-shore-up-alliance-against-russia-1121486.html">Joe Biden's mission in Europe: Shore up alliance against Russia</a></strong></p>.<p>The mayor said the missile strike was intended to "intimidate Ukrainians" ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid on June 28-30 -- as well as the G7 summit being held in Bavaria on Sunday.</p>.<p>Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said the "G7 summit must respond with more sanctions on Russia and more heavy arms for Ukraine" in light of the latest Kyiv strikes.</p>.<p>He tweeted that the seven-year-old girl "was sleeping peacefully in Kyiv until a Russian cruise missile blasted her home".</p>.<p>"Many more around Ukraine are under strikes," he continued.</p>.<p>The residents of the complex gathered at the bottom of the building, many of them in tears, according to AFP reporters at the scene. One woman was still wearing a bathrobe.</p>.<p>Edward Shkuta, who lives next door to the hit building, said there had been four missiles since 6.30 am.</p>.<p>A building "was directly hit on the top floors and I saw wounded people coming out", he said.</p>.<p>Yuri, a 38-year-old resident who declined to give his surname, said: "I woke up at the first explosion, went to the balcony and saw missiles falling and heard a huge explosion -- everything vibrated."</p>.<p>Irena, 32, evacuated the building with her 17-month-old son Makar.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/volodymyr-zelenskyy-says-ukraine-will-win-back-all-lost-cities-admits-war-is-tough-to-bear-1121507.html">Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine 'will win back' all lost cities, admits war is tough to bear</a></strong></p>.<p>"We came down with our emergency kit, which has been next to the door since the war started," she said.</p>.<p>An AFP colleague living in the same residential complex heard a loud buzz preceding the explosions, which sounded like a missile strike.</p>.<p>Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP the strikes were carried out by TU-95 and TU-160 bombers, "probably using KH101-type cruise missiles".</p>.<p>It was the third time since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 that Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky neighbourhood was targeted by missiles.</p>.<p>It was hit in mid-March and again on April 28 during a visit by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, killing a Ukrainian journalist from Radio Liberty in her apartment.</p>.<p>The neighbourhood is near the Artem weapons plant, which was founded at the end of the 19th century and produces air-to-air missiles and anti-tank rockets, according to a specialised Ukrainian military website.</p>.<p>The last Russian strike in Kyiv was in early June. It targeted a factory on the outskirts of the capital and wounded one person.</p>
<p>Russian missile strikes hit residential buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Sunday, burying some people under rubble and hospitalising at least four, the city's mayor said.</p>.<p>Four explosions were heard at around 6:30 am (0330 GMT), half an hour after air raid sirens sounded in the city, which had not come under Russian bombardment for nearly three weeks.</p>.<p>The missiles struck just hours before the start of a G7 summit in Germany and prompted calls from Ukraine for a stronger response to the Russian invasion.</p>.<p>The top three floors of an around 10-storey building in the Shevchenkivsky neighbourhood were completely destroyed and several fires broke out, spewing out thick smoke.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/ukraines-severodonetsk-fully-occupied-by-russian-army-mayor-1121490.html">Ukraine's Severodonetsk 'fully occupied' by Russian army: Mayor</a></strong></p>.<p>Several hours later, firefighters were still struggling to control two blazes.</p>.<p>Four people were hospitalised, including a seven-year-old girl who lived on the ninth floor and was rescued from the rubble, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.</p>.<p>AFP reporters witnessed the girl's mother being rescued, a process that took several hours.</p>.<p>The mother was trapped under a concrete slab, according to rescuers.</p>.<p>Authorities described her as a Russian citizen around the age of 30, who was subsequently taken to hospital in a serious condition.</p>.<p>Another missile hit a nearby kindergarten, apparently without causing any casualties.</p>.<p>Klitschko said that rescue operations were ongoing and warned that the toll from the strikes could still rise.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/joe-bidens-mission-in-europe-shore-up-alliance-against-russia-1121486.html">Joe Biden's mission in Europe: Shore up alliance against Russia</a></strong></p>.<p>The mayor said the missile strike was intended to "intimidate Ukrainians" ahead of a NATO summit in Madrid on June 28-30 -- as well as the G7 summit being held in Bavaria on Sunday.</p>.<p>Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said the "G7 summit must respond with more sanctions on Russia and more heavy arms for Ukraine" in light of the latest Kyiv strikes.</p>.<p>He tweeted that the seven-year-old girl "was sleeping peacefully in Kyiv until a Russian cruise missile blasted her home".</p>.<p>"Many more around Ukraine are under strikes," he continued.</p>.<p>The residents of the complex gathered at the bottom of the building, many of them in tears, according to AFP reporters at the scene. One woman was still wearing a bathrobe.</p>.<p>Edward Shkuta, who lives next door to the hit building, said there had been four missiles since 6.30 am.</p>.<p>A building "was directly hit on the top floors and I saw wounded people coming out", he said.</p>.<p>Yuri, a 38-year-old resident who declined to give his surname, said: "I woke up at the first explosion, went to the balcony and saw missiles falling and heard a huge explosion -- everything vibrated."</p>.<p>Irena, 32, evacuated the building with her 17-month-old son Makar.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/volodymyr-zelenskyy-says-ukraine-will-win-back-all-lost-cities-admits-war-is-tough-to-bear-1121507.html">Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine 'will win back' all lost cities, admits war is tough to bear</a></strong></p>.<p>"We came down with our emergency kit, which has been next to the door since the war started," she said.</p>.<p>An AFP colleague living in the same residential complex heard a loud buzz preceding the explosions, which sounded like a missile strike.</p>.<p>Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told AFP the strikes were carried out by TU-95 and TU-160 bombers, "probably using KH101-type cruise missiles".</p>.<p>It was the third time since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24 that Kyiv's Shevchenkivsky neighbourhood was targeted by missiles.</p>.<p>It was hit in mid-March and again on April 28 during a visit by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, killing a Ukrainian journalist from Radio Liberty in her apartment.</p>.<p>The neighbourhood is near the Artem weapons plant, which was founded at the end of the 19th century and produces air-to-air missiles and anti-tank rockets, according to a specialised Ukrainian military website.</p>.<p>The last Russian strike in Kyiv was in early June. It targeted a factory on the outskirts of the capital and wounded one person.</p>