<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>The hometown of Ukraine's Eurovision act was hit by Russian missiles moments before the band took to the stage in Liverpool, officials say.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The head of Ternopil regional state administration, Volodymyr Trush, confirmed two people had been injured.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ternopil mayor Serhiy Nadal said warehouses were damaged.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine's foreign ministry accused Russia of attacking Kyiv and Ternopil regions before and during Tvorchi's Eurovision performance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ten minutes before taking to the stage at the Liverpool Arena, Tvorchi posted on Instagram citing reports of Ternopil in western Ukraine being attacked.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After performing, they added: "Ternopil is the name of our hometown, which was bombed by Russia while we sang on the Eurovision stage about our steel hearts, indomitability and will.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"This is a message for all cities of Ukraine that are shelled every day. Kharkiv, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Uman, Sumy, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kherson and all others.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tvorchi, made up of producer Andrii Hutsuliak and Nigeria-born vocalist Jeffery Kenny, hoped to defend the Eurovision title after Kalush Orchestra won last year in Turin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They performed "Heart of Steel" - a song about troops who led an ultimately unsuccessful resistance against Russian forces at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The duo seeking Eurovision glory for Ukraine</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Liverpool is hosting the contest on behalf of Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of their performance, Tvorchi held their fists in the air as acts from other nations were also seen waving the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The UK's ambassador to Ukraine Dame Melinda Simmons described Tvorchi's Eurovision performance as "poignant".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Writing on Twitter, she added: "Reminder that the reason why Ukraine could not host this event is because Russia continues to invade and the people of Ukraine live in continuing danger."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Swedish act Loreen took the Eurovision crown after a nail-biting finish, but there was praise from Ternopil's mayor who thanked the band for supporting the city during their performance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Posting on Facebook in Ukrainian, Mayor Nadal wrote: "It was at this time that our city was attacked by Russian missiles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Thank you, because your speech has become a symbol of not only the unity of the country, but of the whole world."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia has not yet made any official comment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier in the day, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Pope Francis at the Vatican and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He has since flown to Germany, arriving in Berlin just before 01:00 local time. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>