Russian missile attack damages art school in Kyiv

Part of the building of the Mykhailo Boichuk Decorative Applied Arts and Design Academy was damaged by a Russian rocket strike on Kyiv on March 25. 

According to Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, the central part of the building was destroyed due to an airstrike, Rubryka reports.

"I am currently at the scene with rescuers and law enforcement," said the Minister of Culture Roman Karadieiev.

The sports hall, congress hall, and exhibition center were completely destroyed. The premises of the departments and classrooms of the educational institution also suffered significant damage. The extent of the damage will be assessed in the near future, according to the Ministry of Culture. 

During the attack, one of the postgraduate students was injured in the building where training was taking place. According to Karandieiev, the air raid alarm sounded a few seconds before the first explosions, so students and teachers did not have time to quickly take shelter.

"Fortunately, the debris landed on adjacent premises. The sports hall, congress hall, and exhibition center were completely destroyed. According to preliminary information, there are no fatalities," he added.

The acting minister announced that the head of the laboratory was injured and hospitalized in the nearest hospital.

Background

The Kyiv State Academy of Decorative Applied Arts and Design, named after Mykhailo Boichuk, is a higher artistic educational institution founded in December 1999 as part of the Kyiv Art and Industrial Technical School.

Marfa Tymchenko, Maria Pryimachenko, Ivan Honchar, Paraskeva Vlasenko, and other Ukrainian artists were involved in the founding and development of the educational institution. The works of the academy's students and teachers are housed in museum collections in Germany, Australia, the United States, Canada, Japan, the Czech Republic, and many other countries.

Rocket strike on Kyiv

An air raid alert was announced in some regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv and the region, around 10:30 on March 25. The Air Force warned of the ballistic threat. Almost immediately, explosions were heard in Kyiv.

Debris from missiles fell in several districts of the capital, damaging a multi-story building in the Pecherskyi district. Five casualties are confirmed.

Later, it became known that Russia struck Kyiv with two ballistic missiles launched from the occupied territory of Crimea. They were downed by air defense.

Rubryka correspondent Mykola Tymchenko visited the scene of the attack.