Ukraine conflict: Before and after images reveal Russian destruction

Russian missile attacks have devastated cities, towns and villages across Ukraine. These before and after images show some of the destruction caused to civilian areas since the Russian invasion last week.

While Russian forces remain some distance from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, there have been a number of deadly aerial attacks on the city.

The apartment block below was hit by a Russian missile in the early hours of last Saturday.

The small city of Irpin sits just 20km (12 miles) northwest of Kyiv and has found itself on the frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces over the past week.

Artillery and air strikes have caused severe damage in the area, with one attack leaving the residential area pictured below almost completely destroyed.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has been the focus of intense aerial bombardments by the Russians for several days now and the centre of the city has been badly damaged.

Ukrainian officials said residential and other areas in the city had been “pounded all night” on Wednesday by indiscriminate shelling, which UN prosecutors are investigating as a possible war crime.

Chernihiv, a city 120km (75 miles) to the northeast of Kyiv, has also faced heavy shelling in recent days by Russian forces invading from the north.

Officials said more than 30 people were killed on Thursday by attacks on residential areas in the city, including schools and a high-rise apartment building.

Satellite images of the nearby village of Rivnopillya, which sits just to the north of Chernihiv, show craters in the ground and smoke billowing from burning homes following missile attacks by Russian forces.

By Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers and Zoe Bartholomew.