At least 18 people, including nine children, were killed on Friday in a devastating Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Local authorities said a residential area in the central Ukrainian city was struck by a ballistic missile, leaving more than 40 people injured, including a three-month-old infant.
The attack, one of the deadliest on Kryvyi Rih since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, occurred early Friday evening. Dramatic images from the scene showed a playground littered with debris and bodies, while a video revealed part of a 10-storey apartment block reduced to rubble.
Russia’s defence ministry claimed responsibility, stating it had launched a “high-precision” strike on a gathering of Ukrainian commanders and Western instructors at a restaurant, alleging up to 85 were killed. However, Moscow offered no evidence to support its claims. In response, Ukraine’s military dismissed the narrative as disinformation aimed at concealing what it called a “cynical crime.”
President Zelensky confirmed at least five residential buildings had been damaged. “There is only one reason why this continues: Russia doesn’t want a ceasefire, and we see it,” he posted on social media.
Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih’s defence, said the missile detonated mid-air to inflict maximum casualties, striking a playground where several children were killed. The Dnipropetrovsk regional governor, Serhii Lysak, said more than 40 people received medical treatment, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the attack.
Later that night, Kryvyi Rih endured another assault, this time from drones. Fires were reported in at least four areas, and an elderly woman died after her home was hit. Five more civilians were injured.
The assault occurred just hours after UK and French military leaders met Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss a potential ceasefire plan involving foreign peacekeepers. However, the violence shows no signs of abating.
Earlier in the week, Kryvyi Rih was targeted, killing four. On Thursday, drone strikes in Kharkiv claimed five more lives. Western leaders have accused Russia of stalling peace talks while continuing to attack civilian populations.
