FILE PHOTO: Tvorchi from Ukraine take part in a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest's grand final in Liverpool, Britain, May 12, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble
(Reuters) - As the Eurovision song contest was underway in Britain late on Saturday, Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which is home to the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, this year's contestants from Ukraine.
Local authorities, writing on Telegram, said the strike had hit warehouses owned by commercial enterprises and a religious organization, injuring two people.
Russia has launched hundreds of rocket and missile attacks against Ukrainian targets since last October.
Melinda Simmons, Britain's ambassador to Kyiv, praised Tvorchi for their Eurovision 2023 entry.
"The staging was brilliant. And poignant as their university home town of Ternopil was targeted by Russian missiles this evening," she tweeted.
Tvorchi said this week they hoped to shine a spotlight on their country's fight for freedom.
Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra rode a huge wave of support from across Europe to win the contest last year, but Ukraine was unable to stage Eurovision this year, as the winner usually does, because of Russia's invasion.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Leslie Adler)
