A Russian strike on a Ukrainian railway station killed 22 people and wounded 50 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech to the UN Security Council.
"I have just received information about a Russian missile strike on a railway station in the Dnipropetrovsk region... At least 15 people were killed and around 50 injured," Zelenskyy initially said, later giving a corrected death toll as it increased.
In the speech meant to mark Ukraine's independence day, and six months since the invasion began, Zelenskyy praised the determination of his fellow Ukrainians, saying "A new nation appeared in the world on February 24 at 4 in the morning. It was not born, but reborn. A nation that did not cry, scream or take fright. One that did not flee. Did not give up. And did not forget."
Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day on a somber note Wednesday, exactly six months after Russia launched its invasion.
There were low-profile commemorations to mark 31 years of independence, as the Ukrainian population braced for possible Russian attacks to coincide with the event.
Authorities in Kyiv banned public gatherings while the front-line northeastern regional hub Kharkiv — Ukraine's second city — has imposed a curfew.
As part of its defiant celebrations, the Ukrainian government laid out the carcasses of burnt-out Russian tanks and armored vehicles in central Kyiv.