A missile struck a restaurant in Ukraine that was working with Washington, D.C., based World Central Kitchen to feed people impacted by war, leaving four staff wounded, the humanitarian organization’s leaders said.
The Associated Press reports a 15-year-old boy and at least eight other people died after rockets hit a residential area of the northeast city of Kharkiv.
World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés confirmed an explosion impacted a restaurant in Kharkiv in a Spanish-language message on Twitter.
The restaurant had been working with the famed Washington, D.C., chef’s organization, World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Mook said.
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Mook shared a video on Twitter that shows rubble and burned cars. Mook said he had met with the restaurant’s team just 24 hours earlier.
“This is the reality here — cooking is a heroic act of bravery,” Mook said.
The four staff wounded are expected to be OK, Mook said.
Andrés said that his team was unnerved but safe.
World Central Kitchen has been operating at Ukraine's borders since shortly after Russia invaded on Feb. 24. It also partners with local restaurants to prepare meals, according to its website.
Russian forces have resumed scattered attacks on Kyiv, western Ukraine and beyond after warning that it planned to step up missile strikes on the capital.
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Moscow says the renewed attacks targeted Ukrainian military sites. But each day brings more civilian victims of a war that has shattered European security.
The strikes on Saturday were a reminder to Ukrainians and their Western supporters that the whole country remains under threat despite Russia’s pivot toward a new offensive in the east.
