Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – According to regional governor Serhii Lysak, the death toll from a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih, a central Ukrainian city, has increased to 18, with nine children among the victims, AP reported on Saturday.
On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry asserted that it conducted a precise missile strike utilizing a high-explosive warhead on a restaurant hosting a meeting of unit commanders and Western instructors.
The Russian military asserted that the attack resulted in the deaths of 85 military personnel and foreign officers, along with the destruction of 20 vehicles. However, these claims have not been independently verified. The Ukrainian General Staff dismissed the assertions.
What damage did the missile strike cause locally?
Kryvyi Rih is the home city of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In Friday’s assault, an additional 61 individuals were injured, with ages spanning from a 3-month-old infant to older community members. Currently, forty people are hospitalised, including two children in critical condition and seventeen in serious condition.
“There can never be forgiveness for this,”
Said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s defense council.
“Eternal memory to the victims.”
How has President Zelenskyy responded to the assault?
Zelenskyy stated on Telegram,
“The missile hit an area adjacent to residential buildings, impacting a playground and regular streets.”
Local officials reported that the strike caused damage to approximately 20 apartment buildings, over 30 vehicles, an educational facility, and a restaurant.
A subsequent drone strike in Kryvyi Rih resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to seven others. Zelenskyy attributed these continuous attacks to Russia’s refusal to conclude the conflict, stating,
“Each missile and drone strike shows Russia’s sole desire for war.”
He called on Ukraine’s allies to intensify pressure on Moscow and strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.
Is Russia escalating attacks?
Similarly, two weeks ago, Russia carried out a devastating attack on Ukraine, killing at least 14 people and wounding dozens more, hours after Donald Trump supported Vladimir Putin. He expressed that the Russia leader was “doing what anybody would do”.
Two ballistic missiles struck the centre of Dobropillia in eastern Donetsk. A five-story apartment building was engulfed in flames. While emergency services were responding, Russia executed another strike in the same area. Eleven civilians lost their lives, including five children among the 30 injured.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the “vile and inhuman intimidation tactic frequently employed by the Russians.” A drone strike in Bohodukhiv, located in the Kharkiv region, resulted in three fatalities and seven injuries. Following a tumultuous week marked by Trump’s decision to cease intelligence sharing with Ukraine and stop US weapon supplies, Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukrainian cities has intensified.
