Amid the ongoing conflict between Kyiv and Moscow, at least 17 people were killed and several others were injured after three Russian missiles hit a busy downtown district of Chernihiv in Ukraine just before noon on Wednesday (local time), The New York Times reported, citing Ukrainian officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the death toll, reported by the office of Ukraine's prosecutor general, might increase. He blamed Ukraine's lack of air defences for the loss of life. Ukraine's prosecutor general said that 61 people had been reported wounded.