Large-scale Russian missile attacks on civilian Ukrainian buildings and infrastructure have drawn strong condemnation by the UN Secretary General António Guterres today. The wave of strikes was described as an “unacceptable escalation” by the UN chief.
In the wake of the barrage, there has reportedly been widespread damage to civilian areas, particularly in Kyiv, and sadly “dozens of people being killed and injured.” Illustrating the randomness of the destruction, a report from a Ukraine news outlet Mezha highlights a Russian rocket hit the building housing Samsung’s local offices and R&D center.
The Samsung facility is located quite centrally in Kyiv. Reports say a rocket hit the 101 Tower office center, where Samsung has offices and an R&D center, and the building shows damages across several floors. More images and a video of the scene have been shared by the Director of the Consumer Electronics Division at Samsung Electronics Ukraine, Andrii Skira, on his Facebook page.
Thankfully, all Samsung employees reportedly evacuated before the rocket hit the building. We hope those from other companies based in the building took heed of the warning alarms and got out and into shelters in good time. Unfortunately, we don’t have any other statements from Samsung representatives, but it is probably far too early to assess the damage and potential impact on the business.
There's a question as to why Russian missile attacks even came near to the Kyiv city center, as it's not generally considered a military target. In related news, over the weekend, a suspected truck-bomb partially destroyed a strategically essential and carefully protected bridge between Russian territory and the Crimean peninsula. A day later, rockets and cruise missiles pounded civilian centers in Ukraine. There's speculation that Russian troops are firing more indiscriminately, and Western news outlets are characterizing it as a revenge attack rather than a strategic initiative.
